


The Greatest Honor

by EndlessWinter44



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender, zutara - Fandom
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-24
Updated: 2020-10-25
Packaged: 2021-03-09 07:29:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 6
Words: 24,962
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27170017
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EndlessWinter44/pseuds/EndlessWinter44
Summary: Post series - Zuko is injured and unable to claim his throne and begin rebuilding his nation until he is well. Medical take. He confides in his best friend at his weak point and comes out stronger than he has ever been.
Relationships: Sokka/Suki (Avatar), Zuko/Katara
Comments: 3
Kudos: 30





	1. Chapter 1

_Epilogue_

_A light rain had started to wash over her eyes, obstructing her view. She bended the drops away with her fingers, focusing on getting to the center of the arena, where the most damage was. The arena was on fire. Flames were everywhere. Azula screamed and struggled against her chain, and the sound echoed out._

_Katara ran over to where Zuko lay on his side, unmoving. She gently put her hand behind his head and flipped him on his back. He was groaning, he was alive! She quickly formed a thin sheet of water over the spot on his chest where the lightning had struck him, it glowing in her attempt to heal him. The wound was so deep, so extensive, she couldn’t get all the way down. She couldn’t even feel where it ended._

_“Thank you...Katara...” came Zuko’s weak voice._

_“I think I’m the one who should be thanking you....”_

_The bleeding wasn’t stopping - but it was more than that, it was something that disrupted him greatly. She did not know exactly how, but she could feel it as she tried to set it right._

_“Help me!!” Katara yelled, desperate, out into the rain, out at no one. Someone must have heard all the commotion and could see the giant fire - there must be someone that could help. “Help your Prince!” she was crying. She would not let Zuko die here._

_She ripped a piece of cloth off of the bottom of her robe and placed it on his wound, trying her best to halt the bleeding. She gently lifted his front into her arms and held him, hoping to keep him warm, hoping for a miracle. She thought she felt his arm tighten around her shoulder._

_“Please, help me!!” she screamed, sobbing harder. There was someone running over._

_“What has happened?! We have arrived from the battlefront and saw the flames here!” She was a middle aged woman, wearing blue. A waterbender. What was she doing here? A few more were not far behind her. They looked down at her and Zuko, in the mud and rain on the floor. The waterbender looked over to two of the others and they gently took Zuko from Katara’s arms, bending a board made of ice with which to bring him into the palace. The water bender turned to Katara._

_“Where are you taking him?!” Katara cried._

_“It’s going to be alright, my dear,” The waterbender said calmly. “Who are you?”_

_“I’m Master Katara of the Southern Water Tribe. I came here to aid Prince Zuko in defeating his sister and taking back his right to the throne. Where are you taking him?!”_

_“We will make sure the Fire Lord is safe, Master Katara of the Southern Water Tribe. Please, come with me”_

_“The Fire Lord?”_

_“Oh, yes. The war has just ended. Ozai has fallen, defeated by the Avatar. Prince Zuko is the heir to the throne. And he is now the ruler of this nation”_

Katara paced back and forth outside the large wooden door as she heard Zuko wail and groan in pain, tears streaming down her face. Iroh had arrived a few moments ago and was sitting on the floor in the hall.

“It’s going to be alright Katara. These are fine healers, the finest we have, all master waterbenders from the North. And the physician has been caring for Zuko his entire life” he said calmly as Zuko let out another yell. She had done her best in that moment, healing as fast as she could, but she could not repair all of the damage and had screamed for help as she held the new Firelord in her arms in the arena. He was slipping away.

The sturdy door opened and five healers and the royal family physician emerged from the room, bowing to them as they left. One of the healers stayed behind, the healer that had shown up to the scene first. She looked tired. Iroh stood up.

“He is resting. We performed open heart surgery to regain some circulation. We were unable to give him a spinal tap for risk of further damage - he has been very strong. His pain is great, I’m sure, but he is stable for now” Master Emi said. She met Katara’s gaze, “He is asking for you to be instructed on his plan of care, Master Katara. He wants you to be involved as his healer. May I go over it with you?” Katara nodded and slowly followed Emi into the darkened room, lit by candlelight. Iroh kept a distance behind them.

Zuko was laying flat on the bed, blankets covering his chest, his arms resting above them. There was a clear bag on a pole to the side of him, and a tube running down to his right arm with a needle in the crook of his elbow. His eyes fluttered slightly open as he gazed at them, seeming far away. Katara stood by him, placing a hand gently on the side of his face. He closed his eyes at her touch.

“This is an intravenous line” Emi said, motioning to the bag, “It is providing some hydration with normal saline. We may also change the access point to a larger vessel and put a little bit of nutrition in there if he is unable to eat for a long period of time, though I am optimistic that he will be able to take something within the next few days, even just some tea and broth. The contents should not be bended in and must be slowly introduced this way.” Katara nodded.

“The wound is closed but not bandaged” Emi continued, “It needs to dry out a bit in the air for risk of infection. We will apply the bandages tomorrow morning if everything looks well” she gazed gently at Zuko who had his tired eyes half open. “My Lord, I would like to instruct Master Katara on your wound, with your permission” Zuko slowly nodded. Emi took to gently folding back the blankets down to his waist.

Katara took in the extent of his injury and sacrifice - for her. His chest was bruised and battered with scrapes and cuts, with an incision about four inches long on his sternum from his surgery. It was very fresh with black stitches holding it closed, but it looked well done. Zuko placed his hand on hers, holding it tightly as she lightly ran the fingers of her unoccupied hand around his wound, feeling the blood flow and extent of damage. He groaned softly.

“We had to crack the sternum to gain access, and the area will be sore for quite some time as the bone heals. We used some blood bending to help ease flow following the close. Everything went well. There are no occlusions or infarcts, though pressure is low. We must monitor for critically low, and if it presents itself, bloodbending again will be necessary” Katara slowly and gently placed two fingers under Zuko’s chin and found his subclavian artery. The pulse was even but lacked depth. His blood was not flowing strongly against his vessels. His heart was tired. He sighed, in a place between sleep and wake.

Emi placed her hands gently on Zuko’s abdomen and moved them in a sweeping motion up to his ribs and down to a little below his waist “There is concern for Ileus as well since his body has been through so much shock. I’m not sure when his last good meal was. We must monitor bowel sounds and movement” Katara nodded as she mirrored Emi’s motions on Zuko’s front.

“I am also checking the spine for evidence of electrical abnormalities from the lightning bolt. No pillows tonight, I want it to stay straight and aligned.” Katara nodded again. Emi placed a hand under Zuko’s back and gently turned him to his side, allowing Katara to run her hand up his spine. “The hard part is over. Now we must monitor and wait. We have a good thing going here my Lord. The prognosis is good because you’re staying strong with us. You have been so brave” Zuko groaned quietly. “I am going to let him rest now, it is enough for one night. If you need anything, anything at all, please call to me - I am a few rooms down the hall in the guest room” Emi smiled kindly at Katara and placed a gentle hand on Zuko’s shoulder before making her way out of the room, leaving Iroh and Katara at Zuko’s side.

Katara sat down on the side of the bed and peered into Zuko’s tired face, pulling the blankets back up for him. He sighed softly and returned her gaze as best he could. Iroh approached from the far end of the room gazing down at Zuko with a soft smile. 

“Please...stay with me” Zuko whispered to Katara, his hand reaching out weakly as she took it in both of hers. “I’m not going anywhere. I will be here every step. Anything you need” Iroh took a mat out of one of the closets in the room and made up a place for Katara to sleep, then quietly left them alone. Katara stroked Zuko’s tired face and smoothed his damp hair. She sat there with him on the side of the bed, comforting him, until he fell into a light sleep. She listened for his breathing, it was even and deep. Eventually, she removed her hand gently from his grip and curled up on her mat before dawn broke through the shades.

  
*

Katara woke suddenly early the next morning to the sound of Zuko stirring in his bed, trying desperately to get himself up. He was angry, she could feel the heat. She rose from her mat, feet away from him, and placed a hand on his shoulder, lowering his body gently back down.

“What is it? What can I get for you?” She said, worried, hand still on his shoulder, “you mustn’t get out of bed my Lord, not yet, you need to rest and your wound is still unbandaged”

“I need...water...and to go to the bathroom”

“There is a bedpan here Zuko, I will get it for you” Katara hurried over to the foot of the bed to get the bedpan and brought it over to him.

“I can’t use a bedpan, I don’t need it, I can get up and go on my own” he fidgeted some more, trying to cling to his independence. 

“Firelord Zuko” Katara said sternly, “I know you don’t like this. I know you have been through so much. But you need to allow yourself to rest. Please let me help you with this, it is an honor to help”

Zuko stopped fighting to get out of his bed, knowing he was defeated. He had not gotten very far, and was barely sitting up, panting from the effort. “I am the Firelord. The _new_ Firelord. I can’t be weak and broken and sick in this bed at the beginning of my reign” he panted.

“You are _not_ weak” Katara said sternly, rubbing his cheek with the back of her hand. His defeated eyes met hers. “You are a strong and honored warrior who risked his life, his reign, for me, for your land and your people. Nothing about you is weak and broken. You are stronger and more whole than any man I have ever seen. And you are going to be one of the best rulers this world has ever seen. You already are” Zuko panted, catching his breath following his frustration. “There is no shame in anything. Don’t you for one second feel ashamed to be hurt and needing help” Katara moved the bedpan over for him. “We all want to see you better. And we are all here for you so you can be” she helped him pull down his trunks, Zuko reluctant and nervous. “We’ll switch you to robes so you won’t need help with this. There is nothing I see that is weak here - accepting help takes great strength” Katara turned around to provide him privacy while he voided. When he was done, she removed the bedpan and placed it in the corner of the room. She fetched a jug of water from the far table and offered him a ladle full, scooping his chin in her hand and guiding him to drink.

“I hate this. I hate being like this. I need to go to my coronation, to make moves, to get everything going for the world, and now I will be stuck in this bed like a pathetic sick man getting his bedpan changed” Zuko gulped in air and Katara grabbed the bucket at the head of his bed in time for him to vomit the water he had drank. She wiped his mouth and folded a clean hot towel for him and placed it on his forehead, then cleaning his face and neck.

“I know you hate it. I wish I could take it all away right now. I wish it were me and not you. But you are no less the honest, fair, and noble Firelord now than you will be later sitting on your throne” Katara looked at him worriedly. “Please allow yourself to rest. Is there anything I can do for you? Master Emi, your lead healer, will be by this morning to check on your incision and we will bandage it up” Katara again placed her hand under his chin to check his pressures which remained low but acceptable. She gently laid him flat on his bed. His tired body relaxed, no longer protesting his care.“May I take a look?” He nodded softly, his anger dissipating slowly - the heat in his palms, almost flame, cooling down. “Take a few long and slow breaths for me”

Katara folded back his blankets and gently placed her hands on his chest around his wound, closing her eyes and feeling his circulation. His chest rose and fell evenly, his breathing clear with no crackles or interruptions. Everything seemed to be flowing except one area near a darkening bruise. Katara opened her eyes and hid her concern. She would point this out to Emi when she arrived. She smiled a sly smile at Zuko. “Good breathing. Can I clean this a little bit? It will be a little cold but it won't hurt at all” Zuko nodded and she bended some water from his clean water jug, running it with a light flow across the incision and affected area. The incision appeared to be healing well with no signs of infection. She then dipped a cloth into a bowl of water that was slightly warmer and cleaned his skin.

“Who is taking care of my nation while I lay here useless” Zuko said quietly, “Is Aang speaking for me?”

“Aang has been holding some brief meetings and such, expressing your views and what the two of you discussed for your new world order. He is, of course, not the nation’s Fire Lord, and they are all anxious for your return to health. But for now, things are being handled in your name. Aang will likely be in as soon as you are feeling up to seeing him” Zuko sighed. Katara knew how difficult it must be for him, having everything he ever wanted now, and still not being able to hold it. She brushed the washcloth around his hips and under his arms and placed it back in the bowl, now drying him with a fresh one. Emi appeared in the doorway. Iroh must have left the door open last night. “May I enter my Lord?” Emi asked, bowing in their direction. Zuko nodded.

“Good morning Emi. I have washed the incision site with a little bit of bending this morning, everything looks clean and ready to be bandaged. Only the expected erythema, mild swelling, no growth and no odor” Katara said. Emi nodded and smiled. Zuko laid back, closing his eyes as they talked about him. He was grateful for his healers and friends who were by his side, but his frustration of being wounded and in bed was difficult for him to stand. He wanted to move forward, to rule his new nation, to win back its honor as he had won back his own. He now had a second branding from his family on his body, his once handsome and promising body now full of all his scars. He drifted off into thoughts of his father rotting in jail, his bending taken away, Azula in a mental institution on one of the islands at this very moment. His life had changed so much - he had won, and yet he was here, laying in this bed, being cared for by waterbending healers and walking the line between life and death.

“I did notice that there is a small area without much flow nexto a large bruise” Katara went on, “May we check, my Lord?” Zuko nodded, hardly paying attention to them, deep in his thoughts and misery. Uncle had always told him not to walk down the path of self pity. Emi’s hands were slightly cold on his chest. The experienced healer paused on a spot just above his left intercostal space.

“There is a little clot here, my Lord, nothing serious to worry about, it is a common side effect of your surgery” she applied a little pressure and he moaned slightly, “I’m going to have to bend this out, just lie still a little please” she applied more pressure with two fingers, drawing a line upward toward his incision site. Zuko yelled, and Katara clenched her fists. “It’s okay, just a little bit more now, you’re okay - Katara, will you bend in another direction toward his side?” Katara reluctantly placed two fingers on the clot, mirroring Emi’s motions in the opposite direction “It’s alright my Lord, just a little bit further” Katara felt a release of the blood clot, the flow resuming under her fingers. Zuko sighed in relief as his pain subsided. Katara gently rubbed the area with her soothing hand as Emi removed hers.

“There we go my Lord. Just a little clot, that’s all” Emi said softly. Zuko breathed. Emi removed a cotton bandage from her bag she came in with, instructing Katara to help him sit more upright. She placed a pillow under his bare back as Katara eased him down onto it. “We’re going to bandage the wound for you, my Lord” she said as they held him and wrapped it around his chest and over his shoulder to secure it in place, “There we are. Good job my Lord, you are so strong” Zuko clenched his teeth as they gently tightened his bandage, “We will change it as needed over the next few days. You are being so good.” It felt good for him to be at least slightly sitting up for the first time. His two nurses looked at him encouragingly.

“Now, did you void this morning?” Emi asked. Zuko nodded slowly. “No bowel movement though” he shook his head, embarrassed that Katara is hearing these things about him.

Emi’s hands found his abdomen and moved in the usual sweeping motion, motioning for Katara to feel. “There is some stuff in here, and I am feeling some movement and activity” Emi said, Katara nodded in agreement. “Do you feel like you might need to go?” Zuko shook his head, turning away from them. He was Firelord Zuko, and these two nurses were feeling around for his bowel movement consisting of the seal blubber he had eaten days ago before the Agni Kai with Azula.

“How about some tea and bone broth to get everything moving?” came Iroh’s voice from the far end of the room, setting down a cup on his nightstand. Zuko shook his head, the smell turning his stomach. He reached for the bucket and Katara held it for him and he vomited for the second time this morning, just clear watery contents with a little streak of red. Katara set the bucket down and cleaned his mouth with the moist cloth, smoothing his hair.

“It’s okay, we can try again when you’re ready” Katara said, “Maybe later on tonight if you feel up to it” she rubbed his back and sat down on the side of his bed with him as he heaved a little more. Zuko closed his eyes for a little while and rested, the strength he had this morning spent. Emi switched out his saline IV with a new bag and pulled out a syringe and injected some clear liquid into its contents through a port in the top. “Some dextrose solution. Just to keep him going. His body is spending a lot of energy trying to heal everything that has been done to him, and he is not taking anything in. I will start to become concerned if he does not have anything by mouth in 2 days - then we will switch the port to a central line and add in some parenteral nutrition” Katara nodded sadly. “I’m optimistic it won’t be needed” Emi put away her things in her surgical bag and bowed to Iroh and Katara, dismissing herself to let Zuko rest more. “Call me if any concerns arise”

Iroh took a seat in a chair opposite Zuko’s bed and Katara remained at his side, brushing his sweat tinged hair with a soft brush as he napped lightly.

“He is doing well. It is the best we can hope for” Iroh said quietly, “He may not say it but he is grateful for all of his care. He is simply not one to take help, especially physical help. He prefers to be the strong one. He’s always been that way.”

“I’m worried that he’s not going to be able to eat, to keep anything down and regain his strength. He is so tired”

“He will. He’s just been through a lot. He hasn’t relaxed since his surgery - probably in years, actually” Iroh let out a chuckle, “Once he can relax, his nausea will subside a little bit - enough to take some tea. And you are the best person to help him relax. He trusts you. Beyond anyone I have seen him trust. Enough to sacrifice himself for you without needing to hesitate. He asked for you to be here with him” Katara looked down at Zuko’s sleeping face. This man who had sacrificed so much for her, unexpectedly, after everything they had gone through together. She trusted him too. She hoped she could convince him to slow down and heal.

“As far as I know, you and Emi are the only healers he has permitted to tend to him following the emergency surgery. He is a very private man. I have seen him sick before, and he does not permit care easily. He is stubborn and proud”

Katara sighed and put down the hair brush. She hadn’t eaten or drank anything herself, and hadn't taken a break since last night’s battle except to sleep on her mat beside his bed. She quietly rose to her feet, nodding at Iroh. “I just need to get some fresh air and a rinse off. Please stay with him while I’m gone, I don’t want him to be alone”

“Please Katara, get something to eat as well. Ask the servants in the kitchen for anything you like. You may also occupy any room you wish”

“I don’t need a private room, I don’t intend to leave Zuko’s side until he is well” Iroh nodded with a soft smile at her. She made her way to the door and looked back. Iroh sat, admiring Zuko sleeping, deep in thought. She exited the room and made her way to the closest bathroom where she took a shower and drank some water from the faucet. She went to put on her soiled clothes, but found fresh Fire Nation robes folded on the bench outside the bath. Iroh must have set them out for her. She put on the red silk, looking at herself in the mirror. She did quite like the look of red contrasting with her mother’s necklace. There were dark circles around both her eyes. She dried her face and headed up to the kitchen over the bridge, past the turtle- duck pond.

When she arrived, Aang and Sokka were seated at a table being served breakfast by one of the cooks. She took a seat beside Sokka and nodded quietly. They looked at her tired face and Fire Nation silk in awe.

“How is he, Katara? How are you?”

“He’s resting. He had open heart surgery with no pain control. He screamed and screamed all night and I just couldn’t take it. And this morning he had a new blood clot” soft tears streamed down her face, “we’re waiting to see if he can eat on his own without vomiting. He’s healing, but no one is sure if he will come out of it. It could turn bad at any time” Aang and Sokka looked on at her sympathetically. She wiped her eyes and nose and forced herself to take some bread from the center of the table.

“His nation is eagerly awaiting his recovery. I have been holding meetings with the counsel in his absence. They recognize him as their rightful Fire Lord and will hold a coronation at the return of his health. I’m just going to stand by until that time” Aang said “The world needs time to process the events of yesterday, there is no rush. There is nothing for him to worry about. I will stop by to speak with him when he is accepting”

“He will want to see you. Come back with me after we eat and we can see how he is feeling” Aang nodded.

*

Katara managed to eat some bread and fruit at breakfast, and felt just a little better. Her and Aang made their way toward the Fire Lord’s quarters. Katara stopped at the door which remained open and saw Iroh slowly helping Zuko drink some broth from his ladle, his hand under his chin with a cloth to catch what spilled. Katara entered the room and happily saw the bucket empty.

“Hi” She said eagerly as Zuko looked over at her while drinking his broth and smiled. She brushed his scarred cheek with her hand lightly and offered to take the ladle from Iroh who passed it over and bowed at her, smiling too. “Those robes look lovely on you,” he said. He looked over at the Avatar waiting in the doorway.

“Aang would like to come see you, if you’re feeling up for a visitor” Katara said, wiping Zuko’s mouth and encouraging him to take another sip. He nodded weakly. Aang entered the room with his permission and Iroh placed a chair next to the bed for him. 

“Fire Lord Zuko, it is an honor to see you returning to health” Aang said optimistically. Zuko took another sip of his broth and put his hand up, motioning he did not want to take any more. Katara put the ladle down and headed to the table at the other side of the room where Iroh was sipping tea, putting everything away. Iroh poured her a cup.

“You are holding meetings with my council,” Zuko stated weakly, though not angrily. His voice was raspy and low.

“Yes, I have been standing in for you at this changing time. Everyone is awaiting your recovery. Things are moving slowly, as expected. The leaders are to travel here and hold a meeting of the new world order and peace treaty when you are ready to attend. For now, construction projects to repair war damage to the cities are being planned, and other small projects” Aang accepted a cup of tea from Katara. “Your father has been imprisoned here in the palace. Azula is - well you know where she is.” Zuko nodded slowly. “I’m sure the day will come that she will return to the Fire Nation and seek your mercy”

Zuko turned away and entertained this idea. He had not thought of this. She would have to return after her time in the asylum, and then he would have to make the decision to imprison her too. Unless her treatment works. He could not think to forgive her at this moment when he lay in bed paying the price for what she did, almost paying the ultimate price at her hand.

“I’m interested in the location of my mother” Zuko said quietly, “This is a project I want given priority. She was banished a decade ago. I don’t know where to start, but some of the nobles may have some information” 

Aang bowed his head. “Yes my Lord, I will state this request to the nobles at the next meeting in a few days. We will find all the information we can” Zuko nodded to him.

****

That night, as Katara lay on her mat on the floor drifting in and out of a light sleep, she woke suddenly to thrashing and yelling coming from Zuko’s bed. She jumped up immediately and took the two steps it took to get over to him. He was curled over on his side, his arms bent in front of his face, shaking and sweating, mumbling something incoherent. She placed a hand on his shoulder and shook gently to attempt to wake him from the nightmare. And then the convulsions started.

Katara had never seen anything like it. He flailed and jerked in bed, seemingly involuntarily. Her eyes widened. This was beyond something she has seen in her short experience as a healer. There was nothing she could do to stop it, and with her hand still on Zuko’s back, she screamed for Emi. There was a small amount of foam in the corners of Zuko’s mouth, his eyes rolling back in his head. She was terrified.

“Emi! Emi! I need help!” it only took her a minute to get there, and she quickly turned Zuko on his side and bended what looked like spinal fluid on his back, rerouting the liquid. The convulsions steadied slowly and reduced to some shaking. After a few minutes, Zuko laid still on his side. Emi stretched out his legs gently and placed his stiff arms at his side on the blanket. She wiped the foam on his mouth with a towel and lifted his eyelids, checking for any movement in his pupils with a small light she had in her medical bag. They contracted and she looked relieved.

“He had a seizure. This is not uncommon with his type of condition. His pupils are equal and reactive to light” she looked over at Katara who was standing there, wide eyed and horrified, “I can’t say this is good. But it's over now. This is what I was afraid of when I was monitoring his spine” she put the flashlight away and slumped down in one of the chairs. “He could have brain damage. There’s no way to know until he wakes up”

“Can we wake him up?” Katara said urgently, sitting on the bed beside him.

“I’m afraid that’s not going to be as easy as it sounds. Will you do vitals? And keep him on his side for the night” Katara monitored his pulse and blood pressure as she had been. Everything seemed within normal limits, and Emi seemed more relieved by this. “We just have to wait and see”


	2. Chapter 2

The days rolled by, and they turned into weeks. Katara cared for Zuko with every ounce of her strength, always by his side. She bathed him daily with a rag and bowl, brushed his hair, changed his IV bag. He now had a central line in his chest above the incision providing him with nutrition and hydration. He had a catheter in and she changed his bag daily. She brushed his teeth and wet his lips with water when they were dry. Occasionally, she would see him take a deep breath and exhale slowly, as if sighing at time passing by. Council members brought him flowers and cards and Iroh arranged them nicely at his beside. Every night before she retired to her mat, she would stroke his cheek gently and kiss his forehead - something he would squirm at if he was awake, but she was willing him, with every ounce of her being, to wake up, to return to her and be okay again.

There were some rumors of men claiming they needed their ruler, that someone had to step up following this long and difficult war - and if Zuko couldn’t, someone else had to. These types of things were not tolerated by Aang and he shut them down immediately. He made it clear that only at the death of Firelord Zuko would another be allowed to step up to the throne of the Fire Nation. He stood his ground as the acting leader of the nation, making only motions and decisions that Zuko would approve of. Sokka had returned home to the Southern Tribe with Suki to aid in building up the village. Toph had begun teaching classes in the Earth Kingdom in metal and earth bending. They had wondered if Katara would retire from her duty as Zuko’s healer - but knew it would not be likely. She fought off their concerned expressions as she watched them leave. 

Somewhere around a month after Zuko’s seizure, an unexpected face showed up at his open doorway as Katara was wiping his face with a warm towel. She was cuffed, her wrists behind her back, and tears were pooling in her eyes. She was accompanied by two guards at either side and one behind. Azula.

Katara stood up quickly, shielding Zuko from her view and presumed attack. She sent a wall of ice up from the water jug at the bedside, creating a shield over him. “What are you doing here Azula”

“I finished my treatment at the asylum. I was informed about Zuzu after I was allowed to make my way back home. I just wanted to see him, to show him how hard I have been working, to prove to him I have been able to get better, to change for the better. To be a family again” Azula sobbed softly, “But I can’t ask him, can I?”

“He has been in a coma for over a month now because of you. Do you really think he would forgive you?” Katara shot daggers at her with her eyes, not stepping aside.

“I have done so much wrong - made so many mistakes, and I want to make them all up. To my brother, to my nation. I want to be a part of this new world that is being built. I don’t want to be my father. I was sick, Katara. I needed help and I didn’t know it. Our family has always been unwell” Katara looked down at the floor.

“May I just see him? I am bound. I cannot bend. There is nothing I can do. I just want to see his face” Katara slowly and reluctantly nodded for her to come in, but locked eyes with her guards, motioning them to follow. Azula approached the bed and Katara stood there firmly, ready to defend him, though she bended the ice shield back into the water jug. Azula looked down at her unconscious brother, his expression blank and empty.

“How do we fix him? How do we make him well again, to rule our nation as he rightfully should?”

“I wish I knew” Katara said, “His lead healer said we have to wait until he wakes up. For now, we monitor, and we wait.” Katara turned her face away from Azula. “This is all because of you. How can you live with yourself - how dare you even come in here”

Azula brushed this away.“Has anyone tried bending the energy in his body? If there is an imbalance, couldn’t we just balance it back?”

“We are not energy benders. We are water benders. We can’t do such a thing” Katara said. A small glimmer of hope cast itself across her mind. There was something to her idea.

“I would like to speak to the lead healer about this, please, Master Katara - if there is anything I can do to help, I will do it. It is now I who needs her honor back”

Katara thought about it. Emi would know what to do more readily than she would. She would be by on her rounds shortly anyway. What if Azula really could help him. Would Zuko permit this? He was not awake to give permission. And if something went horribly wrong, if Azula wanted to take the throne from him, she could do it in a second as he lay helpless. Was that a risk she was willing to take?

As Katara, Azula and her guards stood quietly, Emi appeared at the doorway, bowing, and entered. She seemed unphased by Azula and her guards - she never let her opinions and emotions get in the way of her work, and Katara admired this about her. Her mind was always crystal clear. Azula made a start at her plan, explaining the energy bending process and how it would work. Emi nodded and thought about her proposal.

“Well, this is not something I am able to do being a waterbender. However it does sound like it may fix our problems here, or at the very least give us a better understanding of them. Although I am not sure our Lord will allow the very person who put him in this bed to bend his energy again” Azula swallowed her sobs. “You may be here during the procedure, Azula, behind the door, but I cannot permit you to touch my patient. You must find another firebending master capable of energy bending and instruct them. If I see them fit, I will approve this under supervision of myself and Katara. With a very detailed description of every step of the procedure stated before we begin”

“Iroh can bend energy” Katara stated her thoughts out loud. “He can perform the procedure” Emi nodded at this.

****

Iroh did not need to be summoned because he was always there; except to sleep and eat. It was presumed he was doing the latter when Azula showed up, although knowing him it could have been the former as well. They knew it would not be a long wait for him. Sometimes he even napped at Zuko’s side.

As he stood there while Azula explained her idea, he looked at her with an expression as if she was the most vile piece of filth he has ever had the displeasure of laying his eyes on and if expressions could remove someone from the face of this planet, he would surely have ended her existence. But he quietly listened and let her go through with it.

“And you think this will possibly work, Master Emi?”

Emi, seated in a chair at the bedside table, hesitated for a moment. “I can see where she is coming from with her theory. From a medical standpoint, I have never heard of it done. But then again, healers are generally waterbenders. Other benders don’t quite possess healing qualities directly. Maybe the world could benefit from different approaches such as this. I know that what caused his seizure is an electrical imbalance from the lightning strike. This electrical imbalance is, well, energy, I presume. Even if you are not able to restore a - shall we say - balance - to Lord Zuko’s energy, you may be able to feel what is going on and give us more information on how to better care for him.”

“You would do it yourself if you could?”

“I would do it myself if I could”

Iroh glanced over at Zuko, breathing softly in his state. How he missed him, longed to see his eyes again and hear his snarky comments. His worry has been undying with nothing that relieved it. He felt as if he was slowly losing another son as he wasted away in his bed, being almost artificially kept alive despite breathing on his own. If he could be the one to help him, there was nothing he wouldn’t do. He approached the bed reluctantly, Emi at his side.

Iroh pressed his hands together and concentrated on his breathing, closing his eyes. He felt the energy in the room, the fire that always seemed to be leaking from Azula outside the door, the aura of worry surrounding Katara, the calm of Emi. There was a slight streamline flowing through Zuko’s body that tangled at the base of his spine leading up to his neck. Iroh separated his hands and let them flow, hovering above his nephew’s back. He circled, drawing upward, willing something to flow, to send a signal. It took him a few minutes to find the right movement, and Zuko’s body seemed to respond to the newly channeled energy. Iroh slid his hand firmly up past Zuko’s ear, and his upper half buckled. His body tensed and then became still, relaxed. The path of energy was constant, uninterrupted. Iroh opened his eyes and found the amber ones staring back at him.

Zuko groaned, stretching his legs and arms and then relaxing himself. There were tears streaming down Katara’s face as she stood there. They were waiting, they did not know what for, and Zuko rubbed his forehead and his hands found his line.

“No no no” Emi said, gently drawing his hands away from his chest. He groaned again, flipping over on his back. “How are you feeling, my Lord?”

“Like there’s a bunch of stuff stuck to me” Zuko’s raspy voice answered. It cracked, but he could speak. He was here. Iroh kneeled down next to his bed placing a hand on his shoulder as a tear found its way out of his eye. “You’re back here with me” Iroh said.

“What do you mean, Uncle. I was just taking a nap” Zuko whispered.

“You’ve been taking a month long nap” Zuko coughed and Emi bended a little bit of water for him to moisten his mouth. 

“A MONTH??!”

“It's alright, my Lord. You had a seizure and we didn’t know if you would return. But here you are, good as new” she lifted his head and placed another pillow for him. “You wouldn’t believe who came up with the idea to help you”

“Not yet, Master Emi” Iroh warned, “He has just woken up. We can deal with that later” Emi nodded and checked Zuko’s vitals. He didn’t protest.

“I’m hungry,” Zuko said quietly and Emi grinned.

“I’ll go get you something. Anything in particular? You should probably go easy”

“I want some seal blubber soup.” Emi and Katara looked at eachother. “I will find some. Hopefully one of the cooks is familiar with water tribe dishes” Emi bowed to him and dismissed herself. She paused at the door, and Katara knew Azula was still there, waiting. Emi would update and dismiss her following Iroh’s word. Katara sat on the side of his bed, as usual, next to Iroh who was still kneeling with him. She took Zuko’s hand and he did not protest. She lifted it to her cheek and closed her eyes, his skin warm and alive.


	3. Chapter 3

Zuko was doing exceptionally well. His incision was healing nicely and starting to scar over. Emi had removed his stitches. His central line was removed, and he no longer needed any supplemental hydration because he was eating small meals and drinking water and tea. Emi removed his catheter the day after he woke up and though he was still not thrilled with the bedpan, he allowed Katara to assist him but preferred Iroh or Emi during the more serious business. There were no more seizures, and Iroh took to monitoring his energy flow to make sure of this. The palace was glad to hear of his improving health. He could barely wait to take his place on his throne.

A week passed, and Katara was reading to him from a book she found in the palace library about the dragons and origins of firebending. Zuko sat upright on his pillows, his arm behind his head, his eyes closed, listening to her voice - the soothing voice that has been there during his whole recovery. The voice he could swear he still heard in his coma. He didn’t admit it to anyone else, but he loved when she read to him. He liked how she changed her tone for different characters and emphasized action scenes. He let his mind contemplate how he had become so lucky to have found such a friend - a friend he trusted to the deepest depths of his being, who accepted him unconditionally, who fed him and gave him water when he was too tired, who washed his sweat soaked body when he couldn’t get out of bed. Who slept on the floor of his room every night to make sure he wasn’t in need. If there was any reward for his hard work making his way onto the Avatar’s side, it was Katara’s friendship. He was worried about the day that he was well and that she would no longer be there.

“Katara, my lip is cracked and dry again”

“Well then let’s go rinse your face”

“Go?”

“Yes, let’s go over to the bathroom and wash your face!”

“You mean, get out of this bed?”

“I mean get out of that bed” she smiled at him. “What do you think?”

“What if I fall?”

“I won’t let you fall” She set the book down on the nightstand and pulled back his blankets, swinging his legs over the side of the bed. His feet touched the floor for the first time in a month and a half. She held out her hands and he gripped her arms, adding his weight. She was steady and strong. He slid to the edge and let some of the weight down to his feet. Katara took a step back and guided him onto them and they buckled under his full weight as he kneeled on the floor.

“Come on, you can do this. I know you can'' she helped him up and he stood weakly, leaning against her smaller frame. His head swam. “Slowly now” he wrapped his arm around her shoulder and she took his waist. He waited a moment and took a step, leaning on her. He took another. They slowly made it to the door in the corner of the room. Zuko was dizzy. She steadied him and he placed his hands on the sink of his bathroom for balance. Katara turned on the water and helped him wipe off his face. He looked up into the mirror at his own reflection. It was dripping from the water. He looked skinny and pale. His eyes were a little bit sullen. His hair was long, almost to his shoulders, yet somehow not messy. He presumed Katara has been brushing it for him. He was sad to see this man in the mirror, this weak, sick man he had become.

“You’ll get those blushing cheeks back in no time” Katara said, smiling at him in the mirror. His eyes met hers. Her heart fluttered. She presumed it was excitement from seeing him stand up for the first time since his injury. Zuko seemed thrilled with himself, standing there, holding onto the sink. It seemed like such a small step, but it was his first taste of independence – of leaving his sickbed. He didn’t want to go back, but he knew Katara would continue reading to him if he did which was encouraging. He felt tired and dizzy, and did need to rest. He allowed her to wrap her arm gently around his waist again and place his own arm around her shoulders, supporting him with strength he did not know she had. They inched back to the bed and Katara swung his legs over for him and covered him with his blankets. It was as if his muscles forgot how to contract and he couldn’t lift his own limb’s weight. He supposed it took a little bit of tone to be able to do that – maybe his legs were actually heavy though they had become skinny little twigs over the past month having not been used. He would get his strength back with more walking.

He slid over on the bed a little bit further than where he usually lay and brushed his hand to his side, hoping Katara would sit with him. This was new for him. He wanted her to be near him through this unconscious decision. She was always in her chair, respecting his privacy and position, close but a little too far away. He felt different in this moment, like he wanted to be physically close to her. He wanted to be comforted, to feel safe. She had looked at his eyes in the mirror as if she wanted to tell him something. Though she didn’t communicate it in words, she had. They were becoming emotionally close without even realizing it and Zuko took comfort in it. It was easy to trust her, and no one needed convincing. She simply proved to him time and time again that she was worthy of his trust and friendship and every time she did it again more and more of his walls and embarrassments evaporated away. It was as if their friendship and trust shook and then fell down a level in the bathroom, again, as if they were on the first floor and now they may be in a dim basement.

Her eyes were looking over at the spot where his hand brushed, thought a moment, and rose from her chair, grabbing the book off the nightstand as she scooted in next to him above his blanket. A gap closed between them, both symbolic and physical, and formed something new. He rested his head on her shoulder as she opened the book, her arm curling around him. Zuko closed his eyes and listened to her voice again, drifting into thought. He thought about what would become of his life now that he was getting better. He could soon take his place on the throne he had fought so hard to win, and bring honor to his nation, honor that his father and grandfather had taken away. He would start a new tradition in his family. His family. He had not thought of that yet. He would need a family.

Katara read the book steadily, barely paying attention to what she was saying, her voice a soft drone in the background of her thoughts. Zuko seemed to be resting and she drifted off into thoughts of what would come in the next few weeks and months. Zuko would get better. He would take his place on the throne and rule his nation, as he rightfully should. He would help restore honor and peace to the world. Aang would help, of course, but the new meaning that his reign would bring to the Fire Nation was the most essential part. Her thoughts drifted to what she would do now that Zuko might not need her. She would have a place at home in her tribe, rebuilding their village with her family, making her own honor and decisions…

Katara’s body jerked awake, as if she was falling and almost hit the ground. It was dark in Zuko’s room. His head had drifted a little off her shoulder and onto her collarbone, his nose under her chin and his mouth slightly open as he breathed softly. His hands were tucked under her back. He was peacefully asleep. The book was laying on her chest, open to her last page.

Apparently they had fallen asleep at some point while reading. Katara was still laying above the blankets and Zuko beneath them. How long had they been out? Had Emi stopped by on her rounds? Had Iroh seen them laying together?  _ Iroh _ . She looked over to the side table where the only light in the room was coming from. He was sitting at the desk, his back to them, a hot cup of tea steaming in his hand. He was reading something. Katara slowly and gently inched her arm out from around Zuko’s shoulders and shifted his head onto his pillow. He mumbled something in his sleep. She sat up.

“That must have been a really boring book,” Iroh said quietly, not turning around.

“We must have just dozed off while I was helping Lord Zuko back into bed. He walked to the bathroom earlier to wash his face” Katara tried to sound as casual as she could through her nerves, hoping this news would be enough to distract Iroh from her intrusion into his nephew’s bed.

“Ah, yes, you must have been tired from all that hard walking” Katara blushed, getting out of bed quietly as to not wake Zuko. She straightened out her robes and took to tidying up the nightstand, finding anything to do.

“My nephew has taken to trusting you a great deal these days, Master Katara”

“Hmm”

“In fact, I suspect it might be more than trust” Iroh turned to face her, holding a piece of parchment in his hand, the one he had been pouring over. “This is a letter from one of the Fire Nation islands not too far from here. Lady Ursa’s location has been found. She is traveling here and it shouldn’t take her long”

Katara’s eyes widened. “Oh, Zuko will be so happy!”

“It will be wonderful,” Iroh beamed at her. “She will be very excited to meet the lady napping in her son’s bed”

Katara blushed harder. “Has Emi made her rounds?”

“She stopped by a little earlier this evening but decided to let you two sleep. You both need it. And his vitals are surely steady. His energy flow is certainly so. The calmest I have seen since he woke up from that coma. It’s good to see him so comfortable and rested. I am very grateful to the care you bring him, Katara, and the friendship”

“I didn’t mean to fall asleep. He was tired and wanted me to sit with him while I read the book. I am not one to deny anything he needs”

“You have been working, tirelessly, for almost two months. Of course you are tired. Sometimes we do not know how tired we are until after our troubles are coming to an end. You were relieved. Your body needed rest. And Zuko needed your comfort. It is one thing to do what a man and woman usually do in bed, but to rest peacefully together, this is a different and much deeper form of intimacy that you share. I worry that when you return home, he won’t have this comfort anymore”

Katara stood still, frozen at the thought of what a man and woman usually do in bed. “We don’t have to worry about that now. I’m not going anywhere until I know Lord Zuko is well. I want him to get better. Him no longer needing me is a good thing”

Iroh nodded. “So it is. But consider...how he may want you to stay” Iroh trailed off.

“Why would he want me to stay? He will not need a healer for much longer. He will take his place on his throne and move forward. Of course I will be around to be involved with the new world order” Katara thought a moment. She would visit often. She would help with his health check ups. She would keep in touch. She would be a leader in her own right, in her nation, and he would lead here, and they would progress the world from different angles, together, everyone on the same page. It would be a wonderful new world they could build - her, Zuko, Aang, The White Lotus, Bumi, the Earth King…

“We will see to it when the time comes. For now, we must prepare for Ursa’s arrival in the next coming days. We will organize a feast for her welcoming. We need to make up a room for her. She will likely need new royal robes. I will assign some servants to her” Katara nodded, “Zuko will likely be able to walk over to her and greet her by then! And sit at the table for dinner!”

In the coming days, Zuko slowly but surely regained some strength in his legs. He was gifted a hand-carved cane from one of the council members, and he was able to walk short distances by himself - though Katara was always nearby, some urgent chore suddenly and conveniently presenting itself right then and there, pretending not to be making sure he didn’t fall. One morning as he stood holding onto the sink and brushing his own teeth, Katara came in and drew a bath for him. She used the hottest water she could boil since he still wasn’t able to bend. She turned her back as he wished as he struggled to undress, protesting that she was not allowed to help him. Though at this point he presumed there was no part of his body that was a mystery to her after caring for him for so long, he wanted to be able to do this by himself. He slipped into the bath, steadying himself with his cane. He liked to think of it with his recently acquired optimistic attitude as more of a staff of power than a weak man’s tool - though pretending did not change the fact that he relied on it heavily.

The water was boiling hot and very soothing. His sponge baths Katara gave him in the mornings kept him from smelling like a dead body for two months, but it was so refreshing to be really clean for the first time. He sunk into the water, letting it come up to his chin. The tub was large and the perfect depth, like a real Firelord would use. That's what he was now. He could easily call a servant to come tend to him in the bath, but he preferred Katara’s presence. He tried to keep her close because he knew she would be gone before long.

“Lord Zuko, there are some things that have happened that I think we should discuss now that you’re regaining your strength” Katara said from outside the open door. She was changing the sheets on his bed. Again, he could bring a servant to do that to ease her burden, but he liked the way she arranged his pillows and she seemed to like arranging them.

“What kind of things?” Zuko asked, intrigued, dipping his head under the water briefly and letting the warmth run down his hair. The soap Katara put in the bath smelled lovely, like fire-lilies. It reminded him of his mother. Now that he thought of it, Katara smelled like this too recently.

“Like the person that came up with your energy bending treatment” Katara hesitated. Maybe she should wait for Iroh to return from his breakfast. “I know you presumed it was Iroh. But it wasn’t. He did perform it, but it was Azula who came up with the plan” Katara smoothed the blankets she had laid down and inched toward the bathroom, sitting by the door with her back to the tub and bracing herself, “she was let out of her asylum a month after your seizure and came home. She came directly to see you” Katara swallowed.

“Everyone let her see me while I was lying helpless in my sickbed?!” Katara could tell he wanted to yell louder but his voice hadn’t reached its previous potential yet. A little bit of steam came out of his nose, “what if she struck me there and I never recovered!”

“She was bound and accompanied by three guards at all sides. She was led out shortly after she was allowed to see you. She was not there for the procedure. And she has not been permitted to return to your quarters since” Katara felt the heat radiating out of the bathroom. “She was very sorry, Lord Zuko. She wanted to heal you herself”

“She didn’t want to heal me. She wanted to finish the job! She was probably severely disappointed when she found out Iroh would be using her idea to help me instead of her ending me!” Zuko dipped his head under the water again and stayed there in the silence for a few moments. Azula had been in his room. The monster that put him in that bed had been by to admire her work. He would have  _ her  _ banished. Maybe then she would learn something about kindness and peace and honor - learn how to be an actual human being. She would finally get what she deserved now that he was the one in power, he would make sure of it. He came up for air.

“I don’t trust her either, my Lord. Neither does Iroh. And you can do with her whatever you see fit. But she did appear, from what I saw, to regret what she had done”

“Where is she” Zuko said quietly, and Katara could hear the threat in his voice.

“She has been staying on the other end of town in an inn. She has not been allowed back at the palace until we have your word.  _ If _ we have your word.”

Zuko splashed some more water on his face and gripped the sides of the tub, ready to get himself out. He slipped and caught himself before he was even standing. He needed to calm down. Slowly and surely, he placed one leg over the tub, then another. He rested briefly, kneeling on the floor. He reached for his towel and wrapped it around his waist, sitting on the bench catching his breath. Every day, he can do more things for himself. Every day Azula failed at ending him. He reminded himself of this as he breathed.

Katara stood up from her perch on the floor, with her back still turned in Zuko’s direction. “May I come in?”

“Yes.”

She turned around and entered the steamy room knowing most of this steam was not from the hot water. She sat next to Zuko on the bench, placing her hand on his shoulder and letting her cheek fall onto his back. He didn’t protest as they sat there for a moment. At her touch, he always felt calmed – no matter how angry he had been. He took a deep breath. This was what he needed. She lifted her head and brought up her hands, bending the water out of his hair so it was just shiny and long. She brushed it as he sat there, and gathered it up, tying it into a bun at the top of his head with a chord. His hair had not been up in so long, it felt refreshing to have it so clean and out of his face. Like when he was a young prince in this very chamber, and his mother would put it up for him.

Katara left the room for a moment, returning with a wooden box. He knew as soon as he saw it what it was. He smiled and his eyes closed as she removed the flame crown and dropped it carefully over the bun and secured it with its pin. She admired him.

“I didn’t have a coronation. I shouldn’t wear it yet”

“You will have a coronation. But you have been Firelord for months now, never wearing your crown. I thought it was about time” she smiled at him. “Now, get changed into your new robes. There is a very important Lady waiting for you for tea this afternoon”

“I’m not having tea with Azula. I’m not speaking to her and I forbid her from within the palace walls until I decide what I am doing with her” he said sternly.

“Zuko, it’s not Azula. It’s your mother. Aang found her on a Fire Nation island. She is arriving today and will be so thrilled to see you!”

Zuko blinked. Could it possibly be her? The nobles would surely know if it was not. It must be. She was unmistakable. Oh, he had so much to tell her, to show her. His heart raced. He looked over at Katara,

“When will she be here?!”

“I’m not sure exactly when. But today. Likely this afternoon. The kitchen is preparing a feast as we speak. And you are well enough to go to it. You probably don’t even need a healer at your side.”

Zuko gave her a puzzled look. “Of course you are coming to this dinner. You are a part of this palace, Katara. I couldn’t…have recovered without you” he trailed off quietly, realizing what he was saying.

“You couldn’t have recovered without Master Emi and Iroh. I am an accessory to their wisdom and practice. I have learned so much from them” Katara turned around. She knew he was going to realize where this conversation was going, and she was surprisingly and suddenly saddened by it.

“Katara…Are you leaving?” He said to her back. The realization hit his stomach hard, like he swallowed a rock.

“Lord Zuko, you are well. You don’t need me anymore. You can eat, drink, walk, bath all on your own. You don’t need me babysitting you. And your mother is returning. Emi will also be here since she is a permanent member of this palace. You will be in very capable hands”

Zuko was quiet. He knew in the back of his mind that this day would come, but he had been putting it off. He didn’t want to dwell on the reality that once he didn’t immediately need her, she may have other things to tend back home. That she may leave him, that he would be alone. He would be surrounded by his nation and Iroh and his mother, but he would be so terribly alone without Katara. He had grown accustomed to her being at his side every step he took, from the moment he woke up in the morning and saw her face to when she sat with him until he fell asleep.

“I received a letter from my village a few days ago. There is a new hierarchy developing. My father is leading the tribe, Sokka at his side, Sukki at his. They’re getting married, Zuko” Katara said, turning to face him again, “I have to be there for them. I have to set my own affairs in order. I have to build a life now that the war is over and there is one to build” Her eyes looked down at the floor by his feet.

Zuko slowly nodded. “I know. And I am...so very grateful for the sacrifices you have made for me” He gave her a weak smile. “Of course you must go be with your tribe. But please...check up on me...every once in a while” His heart ached. He rose to his feet as she wrapped her arms around him. He rested his head on her shoulder and held on to her for a few moments before letting her go.

****

Zuko gripped his cane as he made his way across the bridge with Iroh. It was evening and they were wearing their finest robes. Zuko walked slowly and Iroh matched his pace patiently. At the other end of the bridge, Ursa stood waiting for them. Zuko immediately sunk into her arms and gripped her as his life depended on it, and he didn’t bother hiding the tears in his eyes.

“Mother, I have so much to show you. I have so much to tell you!”

“I cannot believe how you have grown, my darling. My very soul ached every day that I was away from you” she beamed, holding him at arm’s length and admiring his clothes. “You have become such a handsome young man. Our Firelord in all his glory! I am so beyond proud of the man you have become. Iroh has not stopped boasting about you! How are you feeling my dear?”

“Much better than I had been a few weeks ago, mother.  _ Much  _ better. I’m glad that you have arrived at this time - too late to see me in my sickbed”

“You are so brave my baby. So strong, the fighter I knew you always were. I want to hear all about it.” She took his arm as he steadied himself with the cane in his other. Together, the three of them headed down to the ballroom to his ceremony. 

As Zuko entered the room, there was a roar of applause and everyone stood to greet him. “Our Firelord Zuko, son of Ursa and Ozai, protector of the Avatar and our nation, rightful heir to the throne, joins us at last!” More cheers and applause. His council bowed to him as he passed. He climbed up the brief flight of stairs, hiding his difficulty, and took his seat at the head of the room, his mother at his side.

“We feast to our Lord’s return to health and to the return of Lady Ursa!” They raised their glasses as Zuko took his first sip of wine as the ruler of this nation.

****

Katara stood outside on the palace docks, her ship coming into view on the horizon. The moon was so beautiful tonight, it almost ached. She was well aware of the light in the ballroom inside, how proud she was that Zuko received his ceremony and feast, finally ready to fulfill his destiny. What a deserving man he was. The new world will be a great sight as he turns to rebuild it. As they all rebuild it together. His mother must be so glad to see her son in the light she had always imagined him. He had never let her drift away, and she was probably part of the reason he became who he is now instead of following the path of the angry, broken prince he was. Her light shone through him, as did Iroh’s. Katara hoped she would return soon enough to meet her.

The ship pulled to the dock and Sokka stepped off, tying the rope to the port. He hugged Katara tightly and helped her aboard. She stole a glance at the palace once again, watching the light fade as they sailed to the South.


	4. Chapter 4

When Sokka’s ship reached shore on the Southern Water Tribe’s land, Katara felt a warmth encompass her despite the cold. She had not been home in over a year. She was so different now than the girl that found the boy in the iceberg. It felt like a lifetime ago now.

Her father, Suki, and Gran Gran were there to greet them. It felt good to be held in their arms again, to be together again. Suki wore a beautiful carved necklace and Katara commended Sokka on his craftsmanship.

“How bold these Fire Nation robes look on you, Katara” Gran Gran said. Katara blushed. She was wearing very fine robes, with an amulet made of volcanic ash and ruby that Iroh had gifted her before she left.

“Right, I must have left my old ones at the palace. It’s hard to get any blue around there”

“Come, I have some for you. And a new coat, there is a fresh powder of snow coming this evening!” Katara followed Gran Gran and Suki into her grandmother’s tent as the men stayed out to tend to the ship.

Everything looked just how she remembered, and she flopped down on the bed, cuddling with one of her favorite pillows. It smelled so familiar, like penguin fur and seal blubber. Suki sat down with her as Gran Gran pulled out a new set of robes for Katara and a beautiful embroidered coat that must have taken her ages to make. Katara beamed at her gifts.

“Oh, this is so beautiful, Gran Gran, thank you so much!” She said as she hastily changed into them, folding her Fire Nation robes and placing them neatly in her bag. She left her amulet on.

“So, tell us, how was it caring for the Firelord” Suki asked quizzically, twirling a strand of hair in her finger, “ ‘Fetch me some water now, you filthy peasant! and empty my bedpan - it stinks!’ ” She giggled.

“It was...frightening most of the time. I was so worried when he fell into his coma. I had plenty of aid and guidance from the lead healer, but I always felt there was something more I should do for him. I was always trying to think of ways to make him more comfortable. He was never rude to me, and was always so thankful”

“I’m still very surprised that the young firebender would take a bolt of lightning for a common Water Tribe girl” Gran Gran said as she added a log to the fire. “Very interesting indeed”

“He had changed a lot after he joined our group. He actually started to seem like a human being at some points” Suki said. “All in all, he’s going to make a good Fire Lord. There’s a very big heart somewhere deep in there”

“And you are going to make a great Lady of the Southern Water Tribe some day, Lady Suki” Gran Gran teased. They all laughed.

“Now, ladies, Hakoda is organizing a feast around the bonfire tonight so we can be all fed and ready for the wedding tomorrow. We better get out there”

They ate and talked and laughed and joked and then ate again. Katara missed the food from home so much. She missed her father and brother and grandmother. She wished her mother could be there with them. They played water and snow games and Katara tried to go easy on all of them. She had become a master waterbender after all and following the year she had, she felt like there were few who were a match for her. She gazed up at the full moon fueling her essence and suddenly felt something cold and hard hit the side of her face. Sokka had caught her off guard with a snowball and tackled her to the ground. She hadn't laughed like this in months.

“Not so tough now,  _ Master Katara _ ” he teased.

Not long after a massive snowball fight, everyone retired to their tents to get some rest for the ceremony tomorrow. Katara slept in Gran Gran’s tent, Suki joining her in bed since she was not to be with Sokka the night before the wedding. Pakku’s snoring created a steady rhythm for them to fall asleep to. The fire burned low in the fireplace.

Katara tossed and turned. Suki had fallen asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow. Katara stared at the embers in the fireplace with her tired eyes, watching as a flame caught here and there. She quietly pulled back the blankets and stepped over to it, adding another log and watching it catch. She slid down so she was hugging her knees up to her chin.

“Playing with fire is dangerous, Katara” Suki said softly from the bed.

“I didn't mean to wake you, I didn’t want it to go out and have us wake up to a cold tent tomorrow morning” Katara answered quietly. The flames danced in the reflection of her eyes.

“I’m not necessarily talking about that fire. I’m talking about the fire in your heart. The one ever presently burning. I can see how far away your eyes are”

Katara turned to look at her.

“I’m happy to be home” she whispered. It was the truth. She was glad to see everyone. She was excited to be at her brother’s wedding tomorrow morning and loved Suki to death and how happy she made him. They were a perfect match. Two warriors taking on the world together.

“And yet you’re not grounded here”

“I’m not sure where I am supposed to be grounded. It feels surreal to be starting my life now, with no war. The possibilities are endless. There is nothing tying me anywhere. I can do anything. But I don’t know what I want to be doing” and she stared at the fire, dancing as if to an inaudible song.

“You can, and will. You can do amazing things, whether or not you are at his side”

Katara looked over at her again. “At whose side?”

“Firelord Zuko’s side. You’re aching away from him, I can see it. I saw it well before you went on the journey to defeat Azula. I saw the look in your eyes as you held his shattered body in the arena, like your whole world came to a halt. I saw it when you returned from confronting the man who killed your father. I’ve seen it the whole time, the fire in your eyes for him. So uncontrollable, and so powerful. It was bound to ignite”

****

Zuko sat by the water at the turtle duck pond, the full moon casting its reflection into it. The night was still, and he was full from his feast, left to his thoughts. He felt very peacefully alone out here, away from the bustle of the party. No one had minded when he excused himself a little bit early to get some rest. He felt altogether excellent, but he still tired easily and longed for a moment of quiet.

A soft breeze brushed his cheeks and made ripples on the water, the moon distorted slightly in its wake. He closed his eyes, enjoying the breath of fresh air. Tomorrow he would begin his first council meeting, seated on his throne behind his wall of fire where his father and grandfather and great grandfather sat. He longed to hear the details of the world in his absence.

He thought of his bed, how Katara had made it before she left. He did not feel sleepy. He did not want to retire to his empty room without her mat on the floor beside him. He was perfectly content here, with his pond. He felt as if his room would be too empty, like a giant piece of it had been ripped out and if he was not careful he would fall through. He felt endlessly alone though there was a room of people filled to the brim who loved and supported him still there if he changed his mind tonight. He just stared at the water, hoping it would carry his angst away with the ripples.

****

The wedding ceremony was lovely and Katara beamed at her brother the whole time. The weeks rolled by as she helped build ice structures for her tribe, making the small village look more and more like a city every day. Her people commended her on her work. Young men asked her to have tea with them, and she accepted for the fun of it. None of them intrigued her. They were fine young men, successful in their own right, but she just could not seem to open her heart. She felt suspended in time, watching others. How happy everyone was, how peaceful and worry free her little world had become in contrast from when she left it. Though she tried, she just couldn’t seem to recover her former self. Something was missing from her, and she did not know how to find it again. She went on walks with Gran Gran and Pakku, fishing trips with Sokka. She wrote letters to Aang in the Earth Kingdom and found him to be well. And at night, when everyone was sleeping soundly, she allowed herself to wonder about Zuko. How was he doing - what was he doing? What were his plans? Is he eating well? Of course he was doing well, she told herself. He was well taken care of. If he needed something, if something was wrong, he would write. But how long would it take the letter to get here? He has a messenger hawk. It would take no time at all. He is fine. She is fine. Everything is as it should be.

And still she would lie awake, staring into the fire.

****

“Zuko, that was a fine speech you gave about the strength of the Earth Kingdom. Very fair of you to give them that gold to rebuild their wall. Not that there is anyone to keep out anymore, but it is a symbol of their city and they very much appreciated your respect” Iroh said, stepping into the throne room. Zuko nodded at him without looking up from his stack of papers he was reviewing.

“They are a great nation, Uncle. We are all allies now and must support eachother any way we can” Iroh grinned.

“May I approach you? I have something for you”

“You never need to ask my permission, Uncle” Zuko flipped a page over into another pile. It amazed him how many things he needed to approve. How much gold he was handling all at once. He must hire some help soon, he thought. Someone trustworthy with these assets. Maybe his mother could aid him. Iroh was never one for paperwork.

Iroh stepped up above the low fire wall. Zuko never kept it as high as his father. He did not wish to be closed off from his guests. “You have been buried in your work for weeks, Nephew. Maybe you should take a break and think about the other things that come with being the Firelord. It’s not only meetings and paperwork and moving funds, you know. There are some fun parts that are just as necessary. Like courting. We will need an heir soon, after all!”

Zuko stopped writing and looked up at him. “I have no time for courting. And no woman will want to go with a crippled man”

“Please, Zuko, there are women threatening to break down the door of the palace as we speak. I get letters from old friends inquiring about their daughters every week. Might you go for a ride in town and see for yourself?”

“I’m too busy to be worrying about courting, Uncle. There are so many things to do. Things that must get done” Zuko looked back down at his stack.

“Mai’s father has been asking how you are”

“Mai is a wonderful friend to me. But she is just that” He signed one of the papers and moved it to yet another pile. “I am not interested in courting, Uncle”

“Your quarters must be lonely now that a certain waterbender isn’t napping in your bed anymore”

“Katara was my healer. She returned to her village when I was no longer in immediate need of her. She sacrificed enough of her time for me. I couldn’t ask her to stay any longer”

“But you would have if you could” Iroh smirked. Zuko paused, realizing what he said.

“...I likely would have. She had become a very close friend to me. But it doesn’t matter now”

“Of course it matters now! It always matters!”

“You said you had something for me, Uncle”

“Oh, yes” Iroh pulled out a medium sized stone from his pocket. It was very light grey, almost white, and perfectly round.

“You brought me a stone, Uncle” Zuko tried not to sound rude but his patience was wearing thin and his paper stacks didn’t seem to be getting any smaller.

“Yes, I brought you a stone. I thought you might want to carve it. It is an ancient Water Tribe tradition to carve stones. I thought you might want to send it to your waterbender friend - you know, the one that doesn’t matter anymore. It is from the Northern Water Tribe, at the spirit pond” Zuko paused and looked up at the stone. It really did look somewhat magical. Maybe he would carve it for Katara, as a thank you gift for everything she had done for him. He accepted it from Iroh.

“Thank you, Uncle. This is very nice. I think I might do that”

“Excellent. Now, put those papers away and come with me to the garden. It is time you began practicing your bending again - not that you need my instruction anymore, but you do need to regain your forms”

Another good idea, something Zuko could actually look forward to. He put his quill down and followed Iroh into the sunlight of the garden. They sat and meditated together, and Zuko stood on his cane, raising one hand and shooting out a flame for the first time since his Agni Kai. “It’s going to be difficult to bend with one hand, Uncle” Zuko said, trying not to be discouraged.

“You will have two hands soon enough. Bending again will accelerate your recovery. Your power and strength will return more easily” Zuko let go of the cane and stood still on his two feet, concentrating. He shot a small stream of fire in front of him with both his hands, but fell back onto the grass from the burst.

“Don’t push too hard, Nephew” they practiced some more easy, sedentary forms. Zuko was growing tired, Iroh could see it. “Shall we take a rest and have some tea?” Iroh said. Zuko nodded. They made their way into the throne room once again, though Zuko sat at the long table with his Uncle instead of in his throne with his papers. He felt done with papers for today. Uncle brewed them some tea with the golden teapot at the center of the table. Zuko liked to have tea at his meetings for his council, it put everyone in a good mood. His men spoke as freely as they chose. This was a conversation room, no longer a dictatorship. Though he was a dictator, he benefited from other more experienced men’s opinions on a lot of matters. He found that his councilmen respected him  _ more  _ and not less when he asked for their prospective.

Zuko took a sip of his tea, happy to be resting with his Uncle. His sense of urgency calmed slightly as he took in his throne room.

“I know you are not happy that you only have one hand for bending at the moment. But there is still a very skilled and precise type of bending that can only be done with one hand. Have you ever carved with firebending?”

Zuko pulled the stone from the spirit pond out of his robes and looked it over. “How am I supposed to get a flame so small that it could carve a small stone?”

“Precision, Firelord Zuko. You will learn to control even the smallest spark from your fingertips, and place it exactly where you want” Iroh removed a block of wood from his pocket and demonstrated, drawing the symbol of the Fire Nation with only sparks from the end of his nail. “A wonderful skill to possess, jewelry aside” he gave him the wood. Zuko took it and flipped it to its other side, trying his skill before he ruined the stone.

“I am going to go get us some rolls from the kitchen, Lord Zuko” Zuko nodded, enticed by his new challenge. His injuries would not hold him back from this new skill, it was something he could learn fair and square with everyone else. He wasn’t sure if he cared much for carving, but Uncle was right - this is an interesting bending technique. And Katara deserved a gift from him.

He was so bent over his work, concentrating on the thin line he had managed to make in the wood, that he did not notice the gloomy looking figure approaching him. She did not ask permission to enter. She was trying to get by as quietly as she could. She even managed to slip past his table and take a silent seat on his throne. Zuzu was so stupid - he could have already been assasinated. Sitting around with no guards in his fragile state, making pretty rocks. Even his outside security was insufficient, she had managed to make her way in without a question. No one seemed to think there are any threats left in the world anymore. She sent a fire whip over to the doors and snapped them shut with the flick of her two fingers. Zuko looked up.

“Taken to playing with art supplies now that you don’t have a care in the world, Firelord Zuzu?” she said, her legs crossed as she lounged in his throne. “What a paradise you have created. Foolish of you to sit alone with no security to be seen”

Zuko got to his feet as fast as he could, grabbing his cane for support. “What are you doing entering my throne room without announcing yourself. Get off my throne, Azula. You are not welcome here!”

“But, Zuzu, I heard about the family reunion, and how could it be without me...Princess Azula, seconds away from being crowned Fire Lord of this great nation. This nation that you have turned into a bunch of wimps” Zuko didn’t like the tone of her voice, that old quizzical tone he knew so well. Like the world was her plaything and everyone was useless and unknowing compared to her glory. She didn’t sound like someone who had undergone treatment for anything. She sounded like his old, twisted sister and he wanted her out. “I simply wanted to stop by and give my own congratulations...to our brave and honorable new Fire Lord. Rightful heir to the throne, so they say.” she stood up, and Zuko saw it before it even happened. A fireball hit the middle of the table, sending Katara’s stone and the block of wood flying onto the floor.

Zuko shot back, but he knew he had no chance. Flames flew around the room in either direction and he managed to barely dodge them, bending a shield in front of himself as best he could to redirect them.

“This is going to be all too easy, Zuzu. Don’t worry, your pain will be over soon. I wanted to take it all away while you were there resting in your coma, peacefully, but I wasn’t convincing enough to be allowed the chance” She shot at him again, barely missing his ear. “It would have been a terrible accident to have your energy bended the wrong way after your poor healers worked so hard to keep you alive. An unlucky miscalculation on my part. Oh, I would have mourned you so convincingly from my thone” she shot bolt after bolt at him, one hitting his leg and burning his robes to his skin. He clutched the table so as to not fall to the ground. “I knew you could never change” He bellowed over the fire blasts. “You have a sickness so deep that you could never be a human being, a caring member of this family”

Zuko snapped his eyes shut and placed his hands together, summoning whatever strength he had in him, careful not to take a step without his support. He concentrated beyond the firebolts coming at him. Azula stood laughing in front of the fire wall. He swirled his hands into a ball of fury and unleashed a lightning bolt so thick it illuminated the room in blue and gold as it hit his sister’s left shoulder with a force that threw her against the back wall. He made his way over to her as fast as he could, tying her hands behind her back and pinning her to the ground with his knee. He looked into her pained eyes as she gasped in surprise, her eyes slowly blinking as her power left her. His decision has been made for him on what to do with her. He unsheathed his dagger that Uncle had given him all those years ago and pushed it right into his sister’s slowly beating heart. 

As he kneeled over her, watching the life leave her eyes and the blood stain her robes in a thick, wet blotch, he did not feel any remorse. This was his only option. This is how he must protect his nation. She was his sister only by blood, never by any connection. She had been looming around, waiting for an opportunity to strike him. She was too dangerous to be imprisoned. She needed to be done away with.

Zuko breathed heavily as he removed his knee from his lifeless sister and slowly got to his feet. She had underestimated him. He had underestimated himself. His energy had been so calm and balanced since he came out of his coma to his peaceful land, the lightning bending was easy. Though he had never done it before, he felt the energy all around him. He felt the rage inside him at the sight of her, wanting to let that energy escape and serve him. He took a seat on the stairs in front of the fire wall and breathed. Minutes passed, but he was too tired to get up, too shocked from what had just happened. His instinct had taken over. He stared down at his burned leg, just another mark from all of those trying to take him down. He was like a museum filled with fossils and landmarks. He looked over at Katara’s stone on the floor by the table, gleaming in one of the flames that caught on the floor from Azula’s bolts. Perhaps it was foolish of him to not have a guard with him. Maybe as much as he liked to believe that his new world will be filled with peace and love, that there may always be a looming threat waiting somewhere in his shadow. He would discuss security at the next council meeting.

Iroh came barging through the doors of the throne room, fresh rolls and oil on a tray in his hands, and he almost dropped them all on the ground as he took in the status of the throne room. Curtains and floorboards were on fire, the table cracked in half, their tea spilled all over the area. Zuko and Azula on the stairs. He set the tray down and hurried over to Zuko in astonishment, helping him up.

“I need guards in all the main rooms from now on” Zuko breathed quietly. Iroh examined Azula’s body and removed the dagger from her chest. “So you do.” There wasn’t much he could say as he looked at Azula’s charred shoulder. He covered his mouth with his fingers gently.

“I did what had to be done, Uncle. There was no other option.”

“I know...I know you did” Iroh said softly. “She was so very convincing when she came to offer her advice about the energy bending technique. I am just...so grateful I was asked to do it and she wasn’t trusted”

“She would never have been able to change, Uncle. It’s just who she was”

“Yes...indeed. I will...call the servants to remove her from here. What shall we do with her body, My Lord?”

“She may be cremated in the city. Her body is not to be burned in the royal cremation arch”

“Yes...Lord Zuko.” Zuko picked up Katara’s stone and his wooden block and made his way to his quarters. “Send word to have this place cleaned up and the table repaired, would you, Uncle? And I will need Master Emi to take a look at my leg when she has a chance” Zuko made his way to his desk in his room and allowed the sparks to fly onto the block of wood from his fingertips, carving out the image of a yin and yang - one side fire, the other water. He would find two stones to place within the circles of his final piece as he set the wooden draft aside and reached for the spirit stone.


	5. Chapter 5

The Fire Nation messenger hawk fluttered down lightly and took his perch on a branch close to the Southern Water Tribe dock. A fisherman saw him land, and made his way over, taking the letter from his pouch. The hawk cawed at him, and he fed him a piece of fish from his bag. He flapped his wings happily, tearing the flesh open.

The letter was marked to Master Katara of the Southern Water tribe. The fisherman made his way up the newly placed ice steps from the shore and into the village bustle and noise. Children were playing in the snow and merchants were calling out their prices. Master Katara and Master Pakku were outside the marketplace, bending up some new walls for an outline of the city. Sokka and Suki were calling out names.

“Our son cannot be named Urgo. It’s such a ridiculous and simple name” Suki said, rubbing her belly. “Your name isn’t Urgo, is it, Hugo”

“ _ Hugo _ ” scoffed Sokka, “He will be teased mercilessly for the rest of his life! And what if he is actually a girl! Huh, Eloise? You’re a girl, aren’t you”

“Gran Gran said she could tell by the way I’m carrying that he is a boy. Right Hugo?”

“It’s only been two months, how could you possibly be visibly carrying  _ anything?! _ ”

“Gran Gan has the wisdom to know these things. Hugo makes my hips lean slightly to the left”

“I’m sorry to interrupt, master Katara, a messenger hawk has come for you from the Fire Nation” the fisherman said, bowing, as she looked over from her spot in the snow. She stopped bending her ice sheets and approached him.

“Ah, thank you, does it say who from?” She said, taking the letter from him, hoping it would be good news from the palace, maybe Iroh inviting her to tea. She missed all of them these past few months. 

“I didn’t open it, Master Katara”

“Thank you for bringing it over to me” she smiled and bowed back at him. He waved to some of the townsfolk before making his way back down to the docks to separate today’s catch.

Katara took a seat in the snow beside Sokka and Suki who were cuddling and laughing at more names for their child on the way. Their happiness radiated through her heart. She smiled at them as she removed the red ribbon from the scroll, unrolling the letter.

_ My Dearest Katara, _

_ I wish I could tell you things have been going smoothly at the palace - but I am afraid it is more complicated than that. A few days ago, there was an attempt on Firelord Zuko’s life, by none other than his sister, Azula, in hopes she could defeat him in his own palace to take her place on the throne. We were right not to trust her from the beginning. Security has been tightened and the inn she had been staying at is being questioned. There is talk of traitors and assassins, though nothing has been confirmed. Many are, I’m afraid, not happy with the new order of the Fire Nation, and are still loyal to Ozai the Phoenix King and his vision of the Fire Nation as the supreme nation of the world. _

_ Azula’s life was ended in the throne room by our Lord Zuko, and she is cremated, her ashes spread outside the city walls, as she has no honor and is not welcome within it. Lord Zuko is in good health with only a burn on his leg from the assasination attempt, delaying his independent walking. I think he has grown fond of his cane these days. He has been working on his bending and was able to defeat Azula on his own with lightning bending and his dagger. Lucky she did not expect this of him and he caught her off guard. No one will have another chance to harm him. _

_ All in all, I hope your city is doing well, and am so very thrilled to hear the rumors of the child on the way for your brother. You are always welcome at the palace and we look forward to your visit when you find the time. _

_ To good health and happiness, and the new world order, _

_ Iroh _

Katara reread the letter again several times in disbelief. Why was Zuko alone without a guard. He could have been hurt again, or worse! They were being too lenient with their vision of peace. There will always be someone trying to oppose a new order. Katara said nothing as she stood up, furious. Sokka and Suki looked over at her.

“What is it, Katara?” she pushed the letter into Suki’s hands, as Sokka’s were occupied holding her belly, and stomped her way back to her tent.

She pushed the tent flap doors aside in her rage and sat on the rug in front of her roaring fireplace, ever roaring even when she was not there. The flames danced in her eyes. She had no reason to go to the palace, other than the obvious reason that she wanted to make sure Zuko was alright and that security was properly in place. There was nothing she could really do, but she felt the need to do just that nothing. It’s not like she had any special authority, but she felt the need to stomp her way over there immediately and find every soul who helped Azula make her way into the palace and punish the traitors greatly. She imagined holding up one but the collar and bending ice daggers into his eyes. She imagined sitting in the throne room during a council meeting and stating her requirements for punishment of traitors and new laws protecting the city from violence. The image of Azula’s fake tears the night she came to “see her brother’s face” slid across her memory. She slammed her fists onto the rug, ice coming up through it. She had almost believed her. She had almost let her bend the energy out of him for the last time. And now Zuko had had to defend himself, alone and injured, in his own palace. She should have imprisoned her until he woke up. She should never have let her walk free.

Katara stood up and paced in front of the fire, trying to calm herself down.

“Katara...may I come in” came Sokka’s worried voice from outside her tent.

“Come in” She said curtly, not slowing her pace.

“There is no need to worry anymore, Katara, Firelord Zuko will be alright with his new security. And Azula is gone. It’s okay, Iroh just wanted you to know...”

“Know and do nothing? This involves me as much as it does Iroh, and it involves you and Aang and father and the whole rest of the world. If someone assassinated the Fire Lord, the vision we all worked so hard to produce will all be for nothing. Some other greedy Firelord will take his place and follow through with Ozai’s failed plans! Don’t you see how serious this is?!”

Sokka slowly approached her as she paced, catching her in his arms on her way in his direction and wrapping them around her. “You are not wrong to worry about these things. And I know you care for Zuko greatly. I think maybe you should see him well to calm your nerves, see that he is indeed alright” Sokka bent her face with his gentle hand to look at him and he gave her a soft smile. “It’s okay to care. It’s okay to want to protect him like you had for so long. I will send out a message, inviting Iroh, Ursa, and Zuko here - how about it? We can have a good old fashioned Water Tribe feast. I’m sure he wants to get away from the palace for a while, take a break from his troubles. Where better than this frozen wasteland we call home. Hmm?”

Katara let out a tear or two of frustration before she nodded at him.

“I will write it right away. Why don’t you come out with Suki and I to have some dinner by the bonfire. There was an excellent catch today. You know how Suki gets when baby is hungry, we can’t make her wait too long for first dinner” Katara laughed lightly. She let her brother hold her, burying her wet face in his coat.

****

“Is everything set up for my absence” Zuko asked Iroh as they stood on the palace dock awaiting to enter the ship. Servants walked up and down the board, loading their bags. His mother stood beside him, admiring how the gentle waves fell on the shore. She always loved the beach, he remembered. What pleasant days they had spent during his childhood on Ember Island, playing in the water, or feeding the turtle-ducks at the pond. For a firebender, she was always near water, and he had come to love it too.

“Everything will be alright for the week, Lord Zuko. The council is not exactly upset to have a vacation” Iroh offered his arm and Zuko took it, balancing his ever present cane in his other hand. He had been thrown back in his progress to walk on his own by his burn from Azula. At least that was the last time she will ever stand in his way, gone forever. The three of them made their way onto the ship, taking a seat at the table in the cabin where fresh brewed tea was already being poured for them and sweets laid out, decorated with fire-lilies. Zuko was anxious to get to the Southern Water Tribe. He had not left the palace walls in months. He was also looking forward to seeing Sokka and Suki following their marriage to congratulate them...and Katara. He was so very excited to see her. He fingered her stone that he carved for her in his pocket. He had finished it with the precision of his hand and set one diamond on the water side and one ruby on the fire side of the yin-yang.

When he had finished the stone, Iroh had admired it greatly. His fight with Azula had heightened his skills and he had been able to so precisely depict what he wanted on the wood that he had effortlessly moved onto the stone. He finished it that day, and had the stones purchased and shipped for him within the week. They were the first thing he purchased as Firelord. And they were serving more than what their original purpose intended.

Not only had the fight with Azula heightened and clarified his bending of fire, energy, and lightning - it had also clarified his position on the throne, his duties as Firelord, his identity. It had made simple what he wanted, what he needed. He realized these things effortlessly as he recovered in his room the night before, Emi cleaning and bandaging his leg.

_ “That is a wonderful stone carving, My Lord. The joining of Fire and Water in eternal balance. How very unique and beautiful. What a lucky lady to receive that work of true art as a gift” Emi had said. Zuko smiled at her as she wiped his burn with her waterbending. He winced a little bit, though this was nothing compared to the pain he had endured with her just a few short months ago. He was so grateful that she was one of his royal healers - his father probably never appreciated her as he should when she helped to birth his children and care for his wife. Emi had been treated very well following Zuko’s recovery - given a long overdue raise in her salary and a new house outside the place walls for her and her family. _

_ Emi bended his burn dry and began to bandage it up. “This is nothing for you, My Lord. You are indestructible” she laughed. He smiled with her. “May I ask who is receiving such a gift?” _

_ “I made it for Master Katara. I had never given her a proper gift before she left, and I wanted it to be something special. Honestly, I hadn’t thought of it until Uncle brought me the stone - but it was perfect. I hope she likes it” _

_ “Oh yes, your uncle is a clever man indeed. She will love it” Emi smirked a little bit to herself, tightening the bandage. “It reminds me of the betrothal necklace of her mother’s Katara wears around her neck” _

_Emi’s words hit him like a slap in the face. His uncle had him carve a_ betrothal necklace _for Katara. He is so oblivious and stupid! That is what he had been doing the whole time! This was ridiculous, absurd, unfair of Uncle…to suggest such things..._

_ But he really loved carving the necklace. He looked forward to giving it to Katara, to seeing her wear it. He knew it seemed familiar, what he was doing. He vaguely remembered learning about Water Tribe marriage traditions in his school days… _

_ Emi laughed at his expression. “Forgive me, My Lord, I did not mean to say something so controversial” but she didn’t hide her smirk. “Ah, to be young and in love again...” she touched her own necklace, carved by her own husband all those years ago, remembering when he had given it to her. “Although love only gets finer with age, like fine wine, finding new surprises every day like hints of flavor...” _

_ Zuko basked in his astonishment. Did he love Katara? After all this time - is that what he was feeling? It was a different feeling than he had ever felt for any other person. Like when she was gone, something was missing from him. Like he did not feel whole again until she was there. Like when he jumped in front of that bolt of lightning for her without even thinking twice about his own life.When she cried in his arms after facing that general who killed her mother and he held her tight and tighter still as she allowed herself to fall apart with him. When his own world was falling apart time after time and she was there to put it back together again - the only one who really could. Who he could be weak with, be vulnerable. She  _ was  _ his world, he realized. There wasn’t a thing he wanted to do in his life where she wasn’t a part of it. He loved her. The realization was suddenly as clear as the light hitting a crystal, glimmering like his precious stones he had bought for her. He loved Katara so much that he felt his heart physically burn. _

_ “You should be all set for your journey tomorrow, my Lord. That burn is nothing to worry about. Just make sure you change the bandages every two days while you are away. Iroh will help you...or likely, Master Katara will. Anything else I can get you?” he shook his head, unable to speak. She bowed to him and left him to his thoughts, still smiling on her way out. _

_ After Emi was done tending to his leg, he limped over to his desk and etched those words onto the back of the stone with his precise hand. “My Heart Burns for You” _


	6. Chapter 6

Katata rose early in the morning on the day the Fire Nation ship was to make it to their port. She warmed herself by the fire for a few moments and then slipped into her usual blue robes, brushing the knots out of her long hair and wiping her face with a cloth. She looked in the mirror. She wondered if Zuko would think she looked any different now, in her Water Tribe robes with her hair falling all the way down her back. The last time he had seen her, she was in red. She fastened on the necklace Iroh gave her to add a little bit of the red, and to also show him how much she loved it. The blue and red conflicted each other. She didn’t care.

She started a pot of tea and convinced herself to eat a piece of toast knowing she would feel sick by the afternoon if she didn’t. She did not feel hungry. She did not feel anything except this overwhelming sense of urgency for them to get here.

Following her sorry breakfast of tea and toast, she headed out into the brisk morning and didn’t stop until she was upon the furthest dock. There she sat, the hood of her coat up, feeling the ocean breeze on her face. She stared out into the horizon, not paying any mind to the fisherman gearing up for the day. She didn’t care that Sokka was probably looking for her. All she cared for was sitting on the dock, soaking up her own silence, counting the seconds to his arrival. 

****

It was getting cold as the ship made its way into the Water Tribe’s lines, a soft snow now falling. Zuko was standing out on the deck, leaning over the rails at the front with his hood pulled up. How do people live in this cold all year, he wondered. They probably thought the same thing about the heat of the Fire Nation. He breathed a small breath of fire into his gloved hands. It wouldn’t be long until they arrived now. He could hardly catch his breath. He had downed some soothing tea and a cinnamon roll this morning without tasting them. He just wanted to get there.

“To the left, now, the port is in sight!” the captain shouted at his crew. The ship swayed and veered to the left, and Zuko held his head over the side of the ship and vomited up his cinnamon roll. He wiped his mouth and shoved his hands in his pocket, feeling for the pendant. He had found some red silk ribbon in the master bedroom and had weaved it on, creating a real necklace, what it was meant to be all along, he supposed.

As they approached the docks, his eyes glanced around looking for familiar faces. At the furthest one out, a blue silhouette sat, her feet dangling near the water. She looked up at the ship approaching and toward his blur, getting to her feet. The ship came up to port.

“Welcome, Firelord Zuko and family, it is an honor for you to visit us at our humble village!” came Hakoda’s voice from behind Katara. He put his hand on her shoulder. Servants walked the deck, unloading bags and gifts to present to the village leaders. Zuko gripped his cane and Iroh’s arm firmly as he stepped onto the dock, followed by his beautiful mother Ursa. She beamed at Hakoda as he bowed to them, then hugged him tightly. Iroh shook his hand as Zuko took some shaky independent steps. His amber eyes met Katara’s grinning face and he was flooded with nerves.

“I was so worried when I heard the news. I had to see you were alright with my own eyes” she said. His smile could have ended a hundred wars. She wrapped herself around him tightly, breathing in the scent of fire lilies and spice in the crook of his neck.

“Come, now, we have a feast prepared for all of you! I hope you don’t mind the light snow on your fish!” Hakoda led Iroh and Ursa toward the village as Katara stayed behind, offering Zuko her arm. He instead wrapped hers through his and steadied himself with his cane. He did not want to be weak anymore; though it seemed she was making him weak in other ways.

They slowly walked together in comfortable silence. Now that they were side by side again, there didn’t seem to be a need for small talk. Communication passed through them in the way Katara’s head brushed his shoulder, in his smile, in her hand around his waist.

“You are walking very well, Lord Zuko. Emi wrote to me about your leg.”

“It slowed me down, but not enough to hold me too far back. I’ve grown a liking for this cane, I think it makes me look like a wise old Lord” She laughed and he smiled wider. “I will put it away before long, and then pick it up later when I indeed grow wise”

“You are already wise. Your wisdom baffles all who have the pleasure of hearing it” they both laughed together again. She felt she could stay here, walking slowly with him all night and laughing together.

As they approached the bonfire, she noticed her father had set up four long tables for them to sit as opposed to the usual tradition of canvas on the snowy ground. They were beautiful, lit with candles along the entire length. A seat at the head of the table for her father, and a cluster on either side of him for their guests and her family. Water and Fire, dining together in happiness and peace. The world had truly changed since the last time Zuko had sailed to this village looking for the Avatar to capture and restore his honor. _The Avatar -_ she had almost forgotten! Toph and Aang were to make an appearance tonight as well and she caught them out of the corner of her eye laughing with Sokka and Suki by the fire.

Zuko and Katara took their places opposite of eachother at the table. Iroh, to Zuko’s left beside Hakoda, was telling a story of dancing for gold in the streets of Ba Sing Se. Ursa, to Zuko’s right, was laughing so hard she covered her mouth with her napkin. They were served seal blubber soup as the first course.

“Ah, Lord Zuko’s favorite!” Iroh said. Katara laughed, remembering his post- coma craving. Zuko slurped it up happily, dismissing their teasing. 

“It’s fatty, salty and delicious. Just what I needed”

The second course was Atlantic salmon, Katara’s favorite. It seemed to be well liked. And so the courses went, stories being told, laughter being heard as the whole village enjoyed their time together. Aang was imitating Momo at the head of the nearer table. Young girls stared dreamily at Zuko, whispering to each other. He ate his food, oblivious. His eyes seemed to scan Katara every once in a while, and when they met hers, the feast slowed and quieted in his mind and he savored the moment. He wondered if she savored it too. He wondered if she had come to the realization that he had, or if he had a false sense of reality. He hoped this would not be so.

After dinner, Hakoda, Sokka, Aang, and some of the other men of the village turned all the benches around to surround the huge bonfire, removing the tables and setting them out of the way. Dessert was a frozen ice cream with berries and they all sat and ate it happily together. Village members asked Firelord Zuko to tell them stories, to show them how he could move the flames in the fire. The children were in awe of him and pleaded with him to do it again and again. He bended the shape of a dragon to soar above the fire, flying above their heads, spitting a small fireball out of its mouth. They laughed and laughed. Some of the older villagers were hesitant when Zuko started firebending but warmed up to it after the children laughed and the flames were gentle. Zuko was very careful to make them look calming and slow, making firebending look more like a magical tale of the bonfire than a destructive force that had destroyed many other villages.

Aang met his bended dragon above the fire with one made of air, the two swirling around and snuffing each other out, the chase continuing over the heads of the villagers. It turned into some kind of a performance as the dragons chased each other over the benches and into and out of nearby tents, Zuko and Aang standing up now to see where they could go. Katara sat, watching them flow effortlessly through the air by the two master benders. It was magical. She had always thought bending was more like magic when she was a child and it seemed more like it to her once more.

Aang and Zuko chased each other's dragons back over the bonfire and with small sweeps of their hands spiraled them together until they put eachother out. The village children gasped and laughed and the village clapped for the show. Aang and Zuko bowed from their positions and took seats by the fire once more, the children rushing over to talk to them.

It was growing late as the moon was now shining its crescent high above them. Their guests must be tired from their journey. Hakoda offered to show them to their tents which he had set up earlier. “They’re not much in the way you’re used to, I’m afraid, but they will be warm all night with the amount of wood I put in those fireplaces” Hakoda said. There was a tent for Lord Zuko and Iroh to share and one for Ursa - since they did not have many spares. Some of the Fire Nation servants who tended the ship stayed with members of the village. There was one guard who was to stay outside Lord Zuko and Iroh’s tent following the new security policies. They invited him in anyway. Katara watched from the bonfire as they thanked her father for the lovely hospitality and he bowed to them. Zuko glanced over at her once more before he opened his tent flaps and entered.

Hakoda returned to the bonfire and sat down next to her. Her knees were at her chin again, arms wrapped around them, as she always was when she watched the fire.

“Very lovely people. Very humble, for the royalty they are, if I may be so bold” her father said to her, also staring at the fire. “Five years ago I would have been terrified to see a Fire Nation ship in my port. Now I welcome it with honor and friendship. I am beyond proud of the world you are helping to build, Katara, and the important relationships you and your brother have made. The Fire Lord, staying in one of my old tents” He smiled up at her and she returned his grin.

“We are all helping, dad.”

“It was a lovely idea to invite the new Fire Lord to our village. It is a pleasure to have them for the week. I’m going to have to figure out what to feed them for this long” he laughed. Katara realized he must not know the real reason for their invitation - not that she wouldn’t have invited them without reason. But her father may not know that she invited them to make sure Lord Zuko was alright after his assasination attempt. She decided not to worry him with such things.

“Yes, father, they are wonderful guests. And not finicky eaters! They are royalty who have suffered through war, banishment, cruelty from their own nation, and poverty. This is why they are so humble and honorable.” Katara smiled. “Father, if I may retire to my tent, I will help with the cleanup of the feast tomorrow morning. I’m exhausted”

“Sweet dreams, my darling” Hakoda said, rubbing her back. “Don’t worry about the cleanup. I’m sure Avatar Aang can just airbend everything back into place before he goes to bed” Katara nodded and headed in the direction of her tent, stopping to admire the moon before she retired.

Hakoda stared into the dancing flames. How the world has changed indeed. He smiled to himself. If only his wife was here to see it.

*

The next morning, Zuko rose from his bed in his tent, stretching out his legs and arms. It was barely dawn. Iroh and his guard snored in their beds at the opposite walls. He stood by the fire, still not used to this cold weather. He bent it a little bit higher and put two more logs on. His stomach growled. How could he possibly be hungry after all the food he had eaten savagely last night?!

He slowly attempted to sit on the rug in front of the fire, but could not dip down to the ground. No matter, he took a stool from the edge of his bed and placed it there, being able to sink to this height. This was not exactly the form he liked to take for morning meditation, but it was better than no meditation.

Morning meditation was Zuko’s favorite. He always rose very early in the morning as he felt the sun become more present, threatening to light up the sky. He would sit in front of his fire and think of his day - usually the one before, and the one ahead. The world was quiet and he was left at peace with his thoughts. As the sun would break into the sky, he would feel it in his blood. He felt it even more so since the day he started drawing his bending energy from it as the Sun Warriors had taught him. Today, as he sat there with his eyes closed and palms pressed together, he thought about what he was going to possibly say to Hakoda of the Water Tribe for him to accept such an unconventional request that he would ask; his daughter’s hand in marriage. It would probably be a total disaster. He may even be banished from their village.

Zuko stayed and meditated on this, asking the spirits for their guidance and wisdom, until he heard a little bit of bustle outside. Somebody else was awake. His stomach growled again. He stood gently from his perch in front of the fire and found a set of robes to put on that were unpacked for him by his servants. He did not need to change his bandages today, so he just slipped the robes right over them, feeling his almost completely healed scar on his chest. His red coat hung on the desk chair in the corner of the room and he went to put this on as well. He found something wrapped in parchment sitting on his desk which he curiously opened. It was a hand made blue water tribe coat, embroidered with an image of the crescent moon on the right sleeve. The hood was trimmed with white fur. The coat was breathtakingly beautiful, and much warmer than the one he had come with. Zuko had never expected to be given gifts; expected to be doing the giving. He saw a small card attached to the inside of the wrapping.

_Our Firelord Zuko,_

_A gift from the water tribe to keep you warm even in the coldest winters. Your presence in our humble village warms our hearts._

_Kanna_

Zuko smiled to himself. It felt so nice to have such kindness after so many years of misery and anger. He had seen Katara’s grandmother Kanna sitting beside Hakoda at dinner last night. She is a quiet woman, but when she spoke, her words were as kind as her eyes. She did look over at him quite a bit, as if studying him. He _is_ the Fire Lord. He would need to get used to this kind of thing.

He put the coat on and felt it instantly warm him. There seemed to be pockets of hot air with feathers in them throughout it. Very clever of the Water Tribe. He never wanted to take the thing off again. He put on his gloves, lifted the hood, and exited his tent.

****

It seemed now since they were put into existence, the tables were going to be a permanent addition to the bonfire, Katara noticed. They were lovely anway, she thought, as she laid out some plates and forks and cups of tea. Sukki had taken pride in making rolls dipped in honey and placed them at the center of one of the tables. The two families were emerging from their tents now and taking their seats. Ursa chose a spot nexto Hakoda this time, wishing to discuss his take on the war and plans for the village. Iroh and Gran Gran seemed to have a lot to say to each other. Sokka pulled out Suki’s chair for her as she sat, and then took his place by her side. Toph, who said she was not hungry yet, had joined Pakku in some construction project at the docks. Zuko made his way down to the table and took a seat beside Katara at the end. She smiled at him. “What a beautiful coat”

“Kanna, I have never felt a warmth like this.” He said. Kanna grinned.

“Ah, yes, I’m glad you like it, I’m glad it fits! It is made of turtle-duck feathers and arctic fox. I admit, the feathers were hard to find.”

“It was so kind of you” she nodded at him.

“My pleasure, Firelord Zuko” her eyes were filled with kindness. They ate their breakfast cheerfully. Toph and Pakku did return after some time, devouring large plates of food and laughing together.

As everyone finished up, people went this way and that to do all the things they needed to do for the day. The Fire Nation guests remained at the table, relaxing by the ever present bonfire. Katara sat with Zuko, sipping the last of her tea. She was in no rush to be anywhere today since Toph had been helping Pakku with the construction.

Zuko quietly explained to her what had happened with Azula, how she had been plotting this all along. Katara was simply not surprised at all, though sadly so. He talked to her about all the papers he had to sign, all the things he was changing. He longed to take her hand as it sat on the table, to hold it in his own as he discussed his future with her. It could be their future. He wanted to tell her how he could make anything she wanted appear out of thin air, that she could have the best life he could possibly give. 

“Firelord Zuko,” Hakoda bowed to them, “If I may, I would like to show you around the village. We are building so many new structures and hoping to have a thriving city down here someday!”

“I would be honored to see your projects, Hakoda” Zuko smiled at him, trying to ignore how sore and tired he was about to be from walking around for the foreseeable future. He does a great job of hiding the extent of his injuries. Since he had arrived, it seems most people assumed he simply walks with a cane - not that he relies on it. He would not let this stop him from spending time with Hakoda, however.

“Father, he cannot walk that long on his own!” Katara said.

“I will be fine, Master Katara. I become stronger every day” he smiled at her kindly. She could tell he was also worried about his task. She reluctantly let him go, watching him rise to his feet and slowly walk on with her father. She worried he would become too tired or slip on the ice. But it would be improper to antagonize his word in front of his family and her father. She may oppose him in the privacy of his quarters, when they felt more like equals and she was his healer and knew what was best for him - but out here in front of others, he was the Firelord and she was a Water Tribe villager. She stood to move closer to the rest of the table, taking her tea with her.

Zuko was preserving his strength as he walked with Hakoda, admiring the new walls and buildings in the making. He praised each one to Hakoda.

“It is difficult to make quick progress with only two benders in the tribe,” Hakoda said, “But soon enough we will be sleeping in buildings made of ice brick instead of the tents. Our biggest challenge now is how to keep a fire within them without melting the structure” Hakoda laughed. “We will probably need earthbenders to move some stone for us. Toph has been talking to Pakku about this” they stepped into one of the buildings. It was just walls in an outline of a home, the floor leveled out. There were a few of them in the area, and Zuko recognized Katara’s style.

As they explored some of the other ones, Zuko slipped his hand in his pocket, feeling for Katara’s necklace. He always carried it on him, his most precious possession.

“It is grand to see our new world being built before my eyes” He told Hakoda, “Please, involve me if you require any aid or funds, It would be my honor. I have recently allocated some gold to the Earth Kingdom as well to aid in repair of the damage to their cities”

“This is very generous of you, Lord Zuko. How are you feeling on your feet? To be honest with you, I had not noticed the extent of your injuries when you arrived.”

“I am feeling fine. Master Katara is an excellent healer. I would not have recovered without her. I am so very grateful to her for all her help. I’m sure I was a lot of work”

“It is a wonder you are walking so well on your own after being off your feet for so long. If I may say so, the extent of your sacrifices for my daughter the night of Ozai’s defeat resonate with me. I am grateful to you for that”

“Master Katara has become a great friend to me. It was an instinct of mine to protect her. There was no other choice, I did not even contemplate” They slowly came to a stop, and Zuko looked up from the snow to meet his gaze. “I had taken her to find the man who killed her mother in the Fire Nation not long after I came to their alliance. Katara did not trust me at first, and I could not blame her for that. I had made a lot of foolish mistakes before then. But after she forgave me, after that day, she was by my side, day and night...If I may be so bold, I have never let another person into my heart as I have her. Another choiceless decision. She...had become my best friend. She saw me at my weakest, and at my strongest. And...she took me as I was, during both” Hakoda was studying his face. Zuko’s expression was light, but serious. He placed his hand in his pocket, encasing the necklace in his hand. “She had become my world” He said plainly. Hakoda’s eyes were shining. Zuko thought he saw some understanding, some empathy.

He pulled his fist out of his pocket. “And now...I humbly ask your permission to share my world with her longer” He opened his fist, showing Hadkoda the necklace. He took it in his hand, his eyes wide.

“This....” Zuko braced himself.

“...Is an incredible necklace. I say...it may out-match her mother’s that she currently wears” Hakoda flipped the necklace over gently, reading the inscription. His eyes met Zuko’s. They stood in silence for a few long moments. Zuko thought his heart was going to burst out of his chest, but he was patient.

“It is a stone from the spirit pond in the Northern Water Tribe. Smoothed by its waters. My Uncle had it hand picked” Hakoda looked down at the necklace again. Zuko’s blood was on fire. “I will devote every day of my life to Katara’s happiness. She will never know another worry for the rest of her days. She will rule at my side, enforcing our new world. And our bloodline will continue our legacy for the rest of time.” Hakoda’s eyes met him again. There were tears leaking out of them. Eventually, he gathered himself, sliding the necklace carefully back into Zuko’s gloved hand. He nodded at him with a weak smile. “You have my blessing,” He said, placing his hand on Zuko’s shoulder.

Zuko smiled back widely and bowed to him. “Your daughter will know only happiness and love for the rest of her days,” Zuko said as they made their way back.

“I suspect nothing less”

****

Zuko nodded to Hakoda with a smile as they made it to Zuko’s tent. It was late in the day, he had not realized how long they had been out there. Hakoda put his hands on Zuko’s shoulders, pulling him into an embrace. He had been so worried, but to see Hakoda so happy made him overjoyed. Not that the next challenge ahead will be any less difficult.

Zuko opened his tent flaps to see Iroh making tea. Ursa, Katara, and his guard Lee were sitting in front of the fire, since there was no table besides a small desk where Zuko kept his old coat and his paper and quill. Katara and Ursa were talking and laughing. They looked up when he entered. He blushed.

“What are you all doing in here?” he asked with a smile, “How will I relax with all this excitement?!” he was so tired, he realized, he barely made it to his bed before his legs gave out.

“How was your walk my darling?” his mother asked.

“The city is looking fantastic” Zuko said into his pillow, “I recognized your handiwork, Master Katara. And something about needing earthbenders for the fireplaces” Zuko turned onto his side and unlaced his boots. His mother came over to help him and take off his coat, placing it on the usual chair at his desk. He sat up.

“We were just talking about the palace and how Katara should bend one for her village here” Ursa said, returning to her place on the rug. It was funny to him, seeing the Lady of the Fire Nation sitting on the floor and sipping her tea. In a way, it warmed his heart.

“Lord Zuko, would you like me to switch out your bandages? Emi sent me some new ones this morning as a reminder” Katara asked.

“Oh, that is a good idea, Master Katara” Ursa said, “Iroh, why don’t we give him some privacy and let him rest. I still have that story to tell you about the dragon festival on the island. Please, Lee, join us” she said to his guard. They bowed to him as they left.

It was nice to have some peace and quiet again, especially with Katara there to enjoy it with him. She washed her hands with her bending in the bowl of water on his nightstand and came to sit with him, new bandage in hand.

“I hate to be tending a new injury for you again” Katara said quietly, “But it is just a little one this time, I am grateful for that.”

“I’m grateful you are here to tend it for me” he said, untying his robe. Katara wiggled the bottom half off so he sat in his cotton shorts.

“Your scar looks great” she said, placing her hand gently on his chest. His blood boiled again. She kneeled on the floor next to him, hiking his shorts up on the side with his bandaged leg. She gently removed the pin from the top and unwrapped the burn. He clenched his jaw as it stuck a little.

“It looks okay, healing nicely” Katara said in her ever calming voice. She bended some water over it. The burn took up most of his leg, from his calf to mid thigh. He sat with his eyes closed as the water soothed it. She dried it and wrapped it up again, placing the pin back on the top. She sat next to him again, looking into his face. He opened his eyes and she sunk her body into his, her arms around his shoulders. He wrapped his own around her waist and pulled her closer. “I’ve missed you. I’ve worried about you” she said.

“I’ve been fine. There hasn’t been any visible trouble since Azula.” He breathed quietly into her ear. “And there won’t be anymore. And look at what you’ve done with this place, it is not the tiny village I had seen when I demanded you give me the Avatar” He was stroking her back. Was this too much? Would she turn away? He thought of the necklace in the pocket of his coat, just feet away on the chair. He couldn’t ask her now. Not after she tended to him like his healer. He wanted them to be on equal ground, if he was to ask her to be his wife, the Lady of his nation.

“Do you want to walk with me to the docks?” He asked into her ear again, his voice barely audible. His heart was racing with her so near to him, her familiar smell and warmth surrounding him. Her hair was so long and beautiful in his fingers.

“Aren’t you tired from all your walking?”

“I can find the strength”

“I don’t want you to need to. Why don’t you rest a while while I go help with supper. We can go afterward, when you have some new fuel” He was being too impatient. There was no rush. He could savor every moment. He nodded into the crook of her neck. She removed her warm body from his and brushed his hair out of his face with her fingers. “It’s another fish soup tonight. We don’t have much variety around here”

“I love all of it” he said, laying back on his pillows. She smiled at him as she covered him with his blanket and closed the tent flap on her way out. His eyes closed.

*

When Zuko woke up, the light was dimming outside. He blinked a few times from his nap and sat up, pulling on his robes which Katara had folded neatly at the side of his bed. He slipped on his boots, taking his coat off the chair. He removed the necklace from his pocket and rummaged through his desk to find a small wooden box he had brought with him. He placed the necklace inside. The smell of dinner found his nostrils and he was hungry yet again. He put his coat on, the box inside it, and headed out.

Everyone was already sitting at the table when he emerged. “Ah, our sleeping beauty has been awakened!” Iroh said. They all laughed.

“I am the ruler of the Fire Nation, and I shall sleep when I please” Zuko said, grinning at them all.

“And he grew a sense of humor in his sleep!” They laughed even harder. Zuko took his seat beside Hakoda. Suki placed a bowl of soup in front of him and he could barely wait until everyone was served to eat it. He was starting to wonder if he was born in the wrong area of the world, with the wrong food.

As dinner winded down, the party moved to the bonfire. They were all occupied enough that they cared not that Zuko and Katara looked at each other and instead waited a moment, rose from their seats, and quietly excused themselves toward the docks. Hakoda and Iroh turned to look at Zuko as they walked. Hakoda must have told his Uncle of his plans. He gave them a smile and gently took Katara’s hand as he turned to face forward again. He wondered if his mother knew. Maybe they all knew all along. Iroh clearly knew before he even did.

The moon was new tonight like a new beginning, just a faint grey outline in the sky, only visible if you looked for it. Zuko would have preferred a full moon for Katara, but he couldn't wait that long. He couldn’t wait another hour. He was ready for the new cycle to begin.

They walked down the dock together, hand in hand, and stood at the edge of the furthest one. Zuko was surprisingly calm, the opposite of his walk with Hakoda. He was calm because he was sure, he thought. Katara’s blue eyes glimmered in the light of the stars. He stared at her as she looked out into the sea. She was more beautiful to him than any wave, any constellation. He slid in closer to her, holding her back. She looked over at him.

“Katara, you did not trust me at first. You didn’t want to let me into your group. And after everything I had done, you were right to be cautious. I looked like a monster. I was selfish and broken and lost” Her stare seemed to look deep into his soul as her hair blew lightly in the wind. He didn’t doubt that it could. He turned from the water to face her. “But when you let me in, when you let me redeem myself and trusted me, I became more whole than I ever could have on my own” he swallowed and looked to the side of the dock at the water. “I was striving to be better. And I would look at you, and I would strive even harder, to prove my worth to you. To earn your respect and friendship, the greatest friendship I have ever known.” He looked back at her. She was silent. She knew he wanted to talk, and she wanted to listen. She didn’t really need words to respond to him anyway.

“I realized I had never given you a proper gift to thank you for caring for me for so long. Iroh gave me some ideas, and they were nice, but how could I possibly tell you how much I cared for you with a simple gift” Katara was starting to notice that something was unusual.

“I don’t need a gift, all I need is your wellbeing and good health” she said softly, running her hand along his face. “You don’t owe me anything. It was my pleasure to be there for you. You are not the only one that values this friendship”

“But that’s just the thing. You were there for me before I ever fell ill. You were there for me before I even found my path. You showed me great kindness and understanding way back in the crystal cave - and I came to regret betraying that understanding every day. I didn’t know who I was anymore. I had my so-called honor back and was home and respected, but I knew it wasn’t right. And you helped me see what was. You cracked down past the cement wall of anger I had built and reached into my core, and it haunted me ever since. It made me into the man I am today, the man I am happy to be” he stared into her blue eyes, reaching into his pocket. He held the box.

“So I finally came to the right realization. And once I did, it was so simple it almost hurt. Actually, it did hurt. It burned.” He pulled the box out. “I realized what I wanted, what I needed, that was there all along” He took her hand and placed it on top of the box laying in his, still covering her hand with his. She looked down at it, then up at him. “I have a question to ask you, and I would be honored if you would take the time to answer it for me...and your answer...will give me, instead, the greatest gift - the greatest honor that we could share, together.” His voice was becoming more dim, almost a whisper. Katara felt her heartbeat quicken. What was he asking? She gripped the box, hesitated as he pulled his hands away, leaving it in hers. Zuko’s amber eyes were calm and steady as he gazed at her patiently, like he had all the time in the world. She curled her fingers around the box, opening it. Inside it was a stunning stone necklace with etchings of fire and water in an eternal circle, the yin and yang, with a diamond and a ruby in each center. She gasped, taking it out of the box to read the letters on the back. _My Heart Burns For You._ She was speechless.

Zuko took the necklace from her hand as she slowly turned around. He carefully removed her mother’s from her neck, pausing to place it in the wooden box. He held out the new one, gently fastening it above the clamp of Iroh’s. His lips met the place where it closed and its weight fell onto her neck. Her hand found his arm. 

Katara stared out at the water before turning around to face her destined husband. Their eyes locked into a bond that would never be broken, and she pressed her open lips to his with a longing that made her weak. They held each other in the light of the stars this way, letting her kiss be her answer. She separated them after a few moments, her hands around his neck, his on her back, as she let a stream of tears fall from her eyes. “All this time?” she whispered.

“All this time, and all the rest of time” His eyes closed as he kissed her again.


End file.
